Chris Ray’s return couldn’t come at a better time.
Like a knight riding in on his black stallion to save the day, the captain’s return from a shoulder injury is the emotional jolt this team needs with 8 games left on the schedule.
Ok, a little over dramatic, but you get the idea.
Will Ray's presence alone be enough to lift this team from the depths of dispair?
No!
Will he make those around him better, and make others accountable for their less than stellar play?
Absolutely!
On the way up to Prince George for back-to-back games against the Cougars, I spoke to Ray about the club’s lack of intensity at such a crucial time of the season.
“A lack of leadership may be the problem, and it’s hard when we have such a young team and it’s hard to pinpoint who’s a leader and who isn’t. This late in the season guys should be leading themselves and be ready to play every night", Ray said.
"That’s what I am going to try to do and get it into the guys heads that we need to bear down for 8 games and if we don’t our season is going to be over. I don’t think that is something anybody wants,” Ray added.
It appears to me that players on the Rockets roster are now looking to others and not at themselves to lead this team into the playoffs.
Chris Ray agrees.
“Even if you’re a young guy, you can contribute, you can make a difference. And again at this point of the year there shouldn’t be a need to be motivated externally, it should be from within".
“Bottom line is as much as we need to come together as a team, we have to expect more from ourselves.”
Maybe the timing is perfect for Ray’s return?
Not only does Ray celebrate his 250th W.H.L game tonight, no Rocket has had more offensive success against the Cougars than the 20 year-old veteran.
His 11 goals and 7 assists for 18 points in his last 23 games against the Cougars over the last three seasons speaks volumes for a team that been shutout in back-to-back games and have been held off the scoreboard for 122 minutes.
Like a knight riding in on his black stallion to save the day, the captain’s return from a shoulder injury is the emotional jolt this team needs with 8 games left on the schedule.
Ok, a little over dramatic, but you get the idea.
Will Ray's presence alone be enough to lift this team from the depths of dispair?
No!
Will he make those around him better, and make others accountable for their less than stellar play?
Absolutely!
On the way up to Prince George for back-to-back games against the Cougars, I spoke to Ray about the club’s lack of intensity at such a crucial time of the season.
“A lack of leadership may be the problem, and it’s hard when we have such a young team and it’s hard to pinpoint who’s a leader and who isn’t. This late in the season guys should be leading themselves and be ready to play every night", Ray said.
"That’s what I am going to try to do and get it into the guys heads that we need to bear down for 8 games and if we don’t our season is going to be over. I don’t think that is something anybody wants,” Ray added.
It appears to me that players on the Rockets roster are now looking to others and not at themselves to lead this team into the playoffs.
Chris Ray agrees.
“Even if you’re a young guy, you can contribute, you can make a difference. And again at this point of the year there shouldn’t be a need to be motivated externally, it should be from within".
“Bottom line is as much as we need to come together as a team, we have to expect more from ourselves.”
Maybe the timing is perfect for Ray’s return?
Not only does Ray celebrate his 250th W.H.L game tonight, no Rocket has had more offensive success against the Cougars than the 20 year-old veteran.
His 11 goals and 7 assists for 18 points in his last 23 games against the Cougars over the last three seasons speaks volumes for a team that been shutout in back-to-back games and have been held off the scoreboard for 122 minutes.
The Cougars have little to play for heading into tonight's game.
They are firmly entrenched in 3rd place in the BC division and can go no where.
Let's hope the Rockets take advantage this weekend, or they will take another step towards going no where when the real season starts March 23rd - day one of the opening round of the playoffs.
Regan's Ramblings:
I will make this bold statement for those that read the blog.
The Rockets in my mind need only 3 wins in their final 8 games to clinch the final playoff spot in the division.
Obviously if the Chilliwack Bruins went on a tear, that number would have to increase, but that is my gut feeling.
Cougars forward Eric Hunter hurt his knee in practice yesterday, meaning he won't play in both games this weekend.
Hunter is the Cougars all-time points leader.
Is it just me or are the 'Hockey God's' looking favorably on the Rockets now?
No Repik and Franson Wednesday, no Hunter this weekend.
Wow!
Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton met with the team prior to boarding the bus to Prince George.
He wasn’t sending out bouquets let me tell you.
No I wasn’t in the meeting, but the general impression I got from the players was the teams veteran players, Schulz, Barthel, Ray, McCrae need to make a difference.
Bottom line is they need to step up.
Bruce Hamilton has always done his best in getting pro tryouts for players who are undrafted, and all four fall under that category.
But Hamilton isn’t going to endorse a player to anyone if they continue to show a half hearted effort.
Would you want to recommend someone you know to someone else, when in the back of your mind that individual won't come through with what you had promised?
You have to love Bruce. He gets right in your face and tells it the way it is.
If you stink, he’ll let you know.
I had an interesting talk with an N.H.L scout Wednesday night on three Rocket players eligible for the upcoming draft.
I won’t mention his name, because the comments were an honest observation that at times can be critical. Plus teams are very tight lipped on who they are interested in and frankly don’t want to ‘talk up’ a player that they may be eyeing.
I asked the scout about:
Cody Almond:
“He’s like vanilla. He’s a plain run of the mill type of player. He has average speed, and is a perimeter player. He’ll be in tough to get drafted, it would be a late pick at best. He just doesn’t do anything to stand out”, the scout added.
Colin Long:
“He’s small, but you can tell he see’s the ice pretty well. He has good hands, but loses a lot of puck battles along the boards. He physically isn’t strong enough and I’m not certain he is on anyones radar”.
Tory Jung:
“I’ll be honest I haven’t seem him play much, but from what I’ve seen I like him. Like any goaltender, they are often slow to mature and develop. Look at today’s N.H.L goaltenders, team’s often times don’t know what type of a player they have until he’s 25.
“He’ll get drafted”, the scout added.
This team needs a goal tonight from a lesser-light.
I’m talking about a goal from someone like Tyson Barrie or Dylan Hood.
They need a young guy to score his 1st W.H.L goal and see the glee in his face and the gleam in his eye.
I have to thank Portland Winter Hawks color analyst Andy Kemper for my last thought of the morning.
Kemper keeps penalty data for the Hawks coaching staff, meaning he knows the tendencies of every team in the W.H.L when it comes to sitting in the box.
This is what Kemper's data told me about the Rockets this season.
The Rockets take the most holding penalties in the W.H.L.
They have taken 78 holding minors this season, with the next closest team at 60.
What penalty do the Rockets take the most?
Hooking.
96 penalities have been called for hooking this season, that's 5th most of any team in the league.
Thanks again Andy for the data!
Oh, one more thing!
I have often been asked what it's like to be a 40 year old man riding a bus with 20 teenagers all winter long.
I will answer that question when I have a 9 minute feature tonight on the Rockets broadcast giving you a tour of the Kelowna Rockets bus.
Obviously if the Chilliwack Bruins went on a tear, that number would have to increase, but that is my gut feeling.
Cougars forward Eric Hunter hurt his knee in practice yesterday, meaning he won't play in both games this weekend.
Hunter is the Cougars all-time points leader.
Is it just me or are the 'Hockey God's' looking favorably on the Rockets now?
No Repik and Franson Wednesday, no Hunter this weekend.
Wow!
Rockets General Manager Bruce Hamilton met with the team prior to boarding the bus to Prince George.
He wasn’t sending out bouquets let me tell you.
No I wasn’t in the meeting, but the general impression I got from the players was the teams veteran players, Schulz, Barthel, Ray, McCrae need to make a difference.
Bottom line is they need to step up.
Bruce Hamilton has always done his best in getting pro tryouts for players who are undrafted, and all four fall under that category.
But Hamilton isn’t going to endorse a player to anyone if they continue to show a half hearted effort.
Would you want to recommend someone you know to someone else, when in the back of your mind that individual won't come through with what you had promised?
You have to love Bruce. He gets right in your face and tells it the way it is.
If you stink, he’ll let you know.
I had an interesting talk with an N.H.L scout Wednesday night on three Rocket players eligible for the upcoming draft.
I won’t mention his name, because the comments were an honest observation that at times can be critical. Plus teams are very tight lipped on who they are interested in and frankly don’t want to ‘talk up’ a player that they may be eyeing.
I asked the scout about:
Cody Almond:
“He’s like vanilla. He’s a plain run of the mill type of player. He has average speed, and is a perimeter player. He’ll be in tough to get drafted, it would be a late pick at best. He just doesn’t do anything to stand out”, the scout added.
Colin Long:
“He’s small, but you can tell he see’s the ice pretty well. He has good hands, but loses a lot of puck battles along the boards. He physically isn’t strong enough and I’m not certain he is on anyones radar”.
Tory Jung:
“I’ll be honest I haven’t seem him play much, but from what I’ve seen I like him. Like any goaltender, they are often slow to mature and develop. Look at today’s N.H.L goaltenders, team’s often times don’t know what type of a player they have until he’s 25.
“He’ll get drafted”, the scout added.
This team needs a goal tonight from a lesser-light.
I’m talking about a goal from someone like Tyson Barrie or Dylan Hood.
They need a young guy to score his 1st W.H.L goal and see the glee in his face and the gleam in his eye.
I have to thank Portland Winter Hawks color analyst Andy Kemper for my last thought of the morning.
Kemper keeps penalty data for the Hawks coaching staff, meaning he knows the tendencies of every team in the W.H.L when it comes to sitting in the box.
This is what Kemper's data told me about the Rockets this season.
The Rockets take the most holding penalties in the W.H.L.
They have taken 78 holding minors this season, with the next closest team at 60.
What penalty do the Rockets take the most?
Hooking.
96 penalities have been called for hooking this season, that's 5th most of any team in the league.
Thanks again Andy for the data!
Oh, one more thing!
I have often been asked what it's like to be a 40 year old man riding a bus with 20 teenagers all winter long.
I will answer that question when I have a 9 minute feature tonight on the Rockets broadcast giving you a tour of the Kelowna Rockets bus.
The lengthy feature will run in the 2nd intermission.
Listen for it then, or I will post it on http://www.okoldies.ca/.
I will post my thought's on tonight's game for viewing bright and early Saturday morning.
Now let's get a road win. This losing sucks!!
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