Prosofsky sparks Blazers with a hat trick

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Three Blazers picked a fine time to earn some firsts Friday night, in Game Two of a Central Hockey League playoff series.

In the Blazers' 5-2 blast past Memphis at the DeSoto Civic Center:

•Forward Garrett Prosofsky scored his first hat trick in three Blazers seasons.

"Whenever you can pitch in and score some goals for the team it's good,” said Prosofsky, who was the Blazers' goal-scoring leader (23) in the regular season. "We had lots of chances yesterday, and today they went in.”

•Goaltender Sebastien Centomo, a former Memphis goalie, won for the first time in his four Blazers playoff games.

"It was a good game tonight by everybody. Everyone played awesome,” said Centomo, who stopped Memphis' first 23 shots on goal, as the Blazers built a 3-0 lead. "Guys were blocking shots. Yesterday, we were unlucky, and tonight everything we were shooting went in.”

•And forward Michel Beausoleil scored his first playoff goal, after going scoreless in his first eight Blazers postseason games. He also had an assist.

"The first goal feels good. I'm happy to get the first one, and it was a big goal for the team,” Beausoleil said. "It was huge for me, because now I don't have to worry about getting the first one, and it was a big win for the boys.”

The Blazers evened the best-of-seven series one night after losing 3-2 to Memphis in Oklahoma City, where they missed half a dozen shots that banged off goalposts.

"We made good on our chances, and Prosofsky had a great game,” Blazers coach Doug Sauter said. "Any time you score a hat trick in playoffs, it's great. And Centomo was outstanding, too. They were our two best players.”

Prosofsky scored the first goal and final two goals in the game.

Sauter said Centomo will also start in goal at 4 p.m. Sunday, when Game Three is played at the DeSoto Civic Center.

Memphis had a huge advantage in shots on goal, taking 49 shots to only 21 by the Blazers.

"Our guys took advantage of their opportunities tonight. It was kind of a reversal of Game One,” Sauter said.

The Blazers needed only 13 shots on goal (and four scores) to oust Memphis goaltender Larry Sterling, who led the CHL in regular season wins (31).

On the other end of the ice, Memphis couldn't oust Centomo with 14 shots on goal in the first period, 18 in the second and 17 in the final period.

The Blazers scored the first goal of the night, for only the second time in their last 12 contests. The Prosofsky score was the only goal in the first period.

Beausoleil and Ryan Watson scored the first two goals in the second period, as the Blazers built a 3-0 advantage.

But Memphis scored nine seconds later, and also 52 seconds after that, cutting the Blazers' lead to 3-2 just one minute and one second after trailing by three goals.

Two goals were scored in the third period, both by Prosofsky.

The RiverKings had an apparent goal waved off by referee Mark Lemelin 11:32 into the second period. Memphis also hit a goalpost three times in the period.