Doesn't look like the Hornets have hurt the Blazers any. Glad to see people still supporting the Blazers. Shows that we can support multiple sports in this metropolis.



Johnston lifts Blazers over Oilers

By Bob Hersom
Staff Writer

Ryan Johnston joined Marty Standish and Michel Beausoleil on the Tulsa Oilers' least-liked Blazers list Saturday night.
Johnston scored two goals in a 5-2 victory over Tulsa before 12,257 fans, the Blazers' largest crowd of the season.
Standish and Beausoleil did their usual good job, too, against Tulsa. Beausoleil had three assists, and Standish had a goal and an assist.
In seven games against Tulsa this year, Standish has two hat tricks, eight goals and 11 points; Beausoleil has seven goals and 14 points; and Johnston has five goals and 10 points. Dating to last season, Beausoleil has scored a point in 10 straight games against Tulsa.
"When you go to the net like we did tonight, that's what makes things happen," Blazers coach Doug Sauter said. "It distracts the other goaltender, and it distracts the other team."
The Blazers, now tied with Wichita for second place in the Central Hockey League's Northwest Division, led Saturday's tilt 3-0 after two periods. Tulsa then made things interesting when Jim Dahl scored twice in the first 6:25 of the third period, cutting the Blazers' lead to 3-2.
But, after being outshot 8-1 in the first eight minutes of the final period, the Blazers responded with two goals in the final 6:36. First, Tim Earl netted a nifty Beausoleil shovel pass, for a 4-2 lead at 13:24. Then, with 1:11 left, Justin Chwedoruk scored after Jared Dumba's steal-and-pass near the Tulsa goal.
"We showed good character on our team tonight," Sauter said. "Tulsa came back, but we came back, too, with a never-say-die attitude."
The Blazers are 21-9-1 over their last 31 games, and they're 10 points ahead of Tulsa in the CHL Northwest. The Blazers have won their last six home games.
Tulsa's Henry Kuster thought he scored the first goal of the game with 5:33 left in the first period. But the score wasn't counted after the puck was found under goaltender Sean Connors, who made his 12th straight start.
The first counted goal of the game was scored by Blazers centerman and Oiler killer Marty Standish. He netted a rebound of a Michel Beausoleil slapshot with 2:51 left in the first.
It was Standish's eighth goal and 10th point in seven games against Tulsa this season.
Blazers winger Ryan Johnston scored two goals over a span of 3:34 span of the third period, for a 3-0 lead entering the third period. Johnston's first goal was on a power play at 2:54, and his second score was on a short-handed goal at 6:28. A Standish pass set up the first goal (after passes from netminder Connors and winger Chwedoruk), and a Beausoleil pass set up Johnston's second goal.

I talked to some friends this morning at church, and they attended last night's game. They told me that even the nose bleed sections were full. They had a great time.

Not counting these last couple of games, Blazers attendance was running maybe 1 percent below last year; I don't think the Hornets have hurt them in the slightest.