Canes top Blazers

Abusy night in goal wasn’t enough to faze Logan Flodell. For that, the Lethbridge Hurricanes have won their fourth game in a row and began their five-game road trip through B.C. on a winning note following a 4-2 win over the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League action Tuesday night in Kamloops.

Flodell — acquired from the Swift Current Broncos last week — marked his fourth straight start with the Hurricanes with a 37-save performance as the Canes posted the win that improves them to 21-19-3-0 on the season. That puts the Hurricanes seven points behind the Central Division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers with Lethbridge holding two games in hand.

In front of the 20-year-old netminder, fellow recent addition Brad Morrison scored his 15th of the season and 100th goal of his WHL career, along with two assists, and Zane Franklin added the other two Hurricanes goals and an assist for three-point nights.

After the Hurricanes got off to a quick start when Taylor Ross opened the scoring on a breakaway feed from Dylan Cozens 1:23 into the game, Flodell got it done at the other end of the ice, turning aside all 18 shots he saw in the opening period to give his team a 2-0 advantage heading into the first intermission.

Morrison added the other Hurricanes firstperiod goal for the early lead.

Franklin gave Lethbridge to a 3-0 lead with 7:24 left in the second with his 12th of the season, but a pair of goals from Blazer Jermaine Loewen made things interesting for the Canes in the third.

Loewen finally found a way past Flodell 1:06 into the third to cut Lethbridge’s lead to 3-1.

Shortly afterwards, Flodell was called upon to come up big on Kamloops’ Quinn Benjafield to keep it a two-goal game as the goaltender made a diving save after being caught out of position.

The hosts didn’t miss on their next chance and Loewen posted his 20th of the season midway through the third to make it 3-2 Hurricanes.

But with Blazers goaltender Dylan Ferguson on the bench for the extra attacker, Franklin drained his second of the game with 1:22 left to seal the win.

Newly-crowned Canes captain Jordy Bellerive had two assists.

Kamloops’ power play was 1-for-4, while the Canes were 0-for-2 on their chances as Lethbridge put 28 shots on goal.

The Hurricanes continue their road trip tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets.

After winning the WHL Goaltender of the Week award Monday, former Hurricanes goaltender was also named the Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday for his 2-0 start with the Swift Current Broncos.

NOTES — Stuart Skinner