Rockets Game Notes vs Hurricanes

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Hurricanes are meeting for the final time this season. The Hurricanes were a 4-0 winner back on October 6th with Kris Hogg leading the way with two goals in that hockey game. The Rockets are riding a season high 4 game winning streak at home, with the team’s last loss coming January 31st against Prince Albert. The Rockets have four wins in their last 8 games overall (4-3-0-1), and have points in six of their last nine games. The Rockets are playing three games in three nights this weekend. The Rockets are in Chillliwack tomorrow night before traveling to Seattle on Sunday.

Hurricane History: When was the last time the Hurricanes won a game in Kelowna? Last season the Hurricanes fell 2-0 at Prospera Place, but earned a 2-1 win October 15, 2003 when they managed just 15 shots on goal in a 2-1 victory.
Hogg has an Idea: Lethbridge overage forward Kris Hogg knows a thing or two about the Kelowna Rockets. Hogg has faced the Rockets 30 times over his career, most of those games as a member of the Kamloops Blazers. Hogg has been terrific against the Rockets, collecting 8 goals and 6 assists including a hat-trick effort as a member of the Blazers in a 3-0 win over the Rockets February 28, 2004. Hogg would score all three goals in the second period. Hogg is playing in his 330th W.H.L game tonight.

Cook’n @ Home: The Rockets have won 4 straight games at Prospera Place, having out scored the opposition 14-3 over that period. Over those four games the Rockets have shutout both Vancouver and Portland. The Rockets have scored a power play goal in each of the four games. The power play during those 4 home games is 8 for 34 or 24%. The Rockets have allowed just one power play goal against in 24 kills.

Who’s the road Warrior? Rockets leading scorer Justin Bernhardt has collected 15 of his 34 points (44%) on opposition ice this season. With the Rockets, Bernhardt has 7 of his 16 points on the road since being acquired from the Regina Pats. Chris Ray has 13 of his 30 points (43%) on the road while Cody Almond has 12 of his 31 in the opponents building (38%). David Schulz has just 5 of his 19 points on the road (26%) while Clayton Barthel has just 6 points on the road this season.

Road Rash: The Rockets are winless in 10 straight road games (0-8-1-1). The franchises longest winless streak on the road is 10 games, with the mark originally set from December 13/1998 to February 14/1999. The Rockets have been shutout four times in those 10 games and have been out-scored 37-12 overall. Of those 12 goals scored over that period, 8 have come on the power play (8/58=14%).

Sick of the Shutout: The Rockets have been shutout 10 times this season. Eight of those 10 have been suffered on the road. Chilliwack and Portland lead the way having been shutout 12 times. If you think that’s bad, look at the Swift Current Broncos. In 2004-2005 they were shutout a whopping 17 times.

Rocket Tidbits: Four members of the Rockets are attending the under 17 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon. Brandon McMillan, Evan Bloodoff, Riley McIntosh and Tyler Myers are at the event and will likely miss 6 games….The Rockets have just one win in their last 15 road games (1-11-2-1) and are riding a 10 game road losing streak…The Rockets are 12-14-2-0 in 28 games against BC division opponents this season…The Rockets have been involved in 22 – one goal games this season. In those games the Rockets are 7-6-5-4…The Rockets have been held to a single goal 15 times this season, 7 times at home, 8 times on the road…David Schulz made his Rockets debut against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge October 6th….Schulz had two assists Tuesday against Chilliwack setting a new career high in points with 21 after recording 19 with the Swift Current Broncos during the 2004-05 season.

Time Ticking Down: With 12 games left in the regular season the Rockets have 7 games at home and 5 games on opposition ice. The Rockets have 9 games left against BC division opponents, 2 games against US division clubs and one against Central division foes.

Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Cody Almond has 3+2=5 in his last 3 games and points in 4 of his last 7. Luke Schenn has just one point (1A) in his last 10 games and hasn’t scored since December 13th. Justin Bernhardt has 3+5=8 in his last 10 games. David Schulz has 2+7=9 in his last 10 games. Myles MacRae has just one goal in his last 12 games. Torrie Jung’s last eight starts he has stopped 109 of the 227 shots directed his way. The Rockets are allowing 28.4 shots on goal pre game over that period.