Rockets Road Warriors?

• One win on the road won't make you a road warrior, but it was a nice way for the team to begin the schedule on opposition ice. I informed Rockets assistant coach Jeff Finley, that last night's post game celebrations were few and far between when Ryan Huska chatted with us last season following another road loss. Think about it. Thirty times, Huska and I had to make sense of another road loss.
• Cody Almond could be in the dog house, and if you listened to last night's game, you will have a pretty good idea why. Almond took a bad penalty in the second period that almost sunk the teams ship. His shooting the puck after the whistle penalty turned the tide of the game in the Tips favor. Up until that bad penalty, the Rockets had a 4-1 lead. Instead the Rockets went into the final period with just a 4-3 margin of error.
• I had to chuckle at Dylan Hood after he scored his first WHL goal. He didn't know what to do. He was as startled as Tips goaltender Leland Irving. Hoody looked more like a goal scorer on his second goal, with a much better celebration after he beat Irving from in tight.
• What's going on with Leland Irving? It's likely the million dollar question in Everett these days. He was fighting the puck all night long, and simply isn't sharp mentally. Don't write this guy off though, he has all the tools necessary to be a good pro, but to say he's struggling in the early stages of the season is an understatement.
• Kyle Beach had a pair of goals in last night's loss for the Tips. He was affective as usual, by finding the scoring area. Both of Beach's goals were greasy, by standing his ground in front of the Rockets net. He'll get a lot of goals that way, and isn't afraid to pay the price to get there.
• I will say the Tips didn't play with that Kevin Constantine work ethic I've gotten used to over the years. They used to come at you in waves, with no one line letting down their guard. It was pressure hockey all the time. I thought last night the Tips lost several battles for pucks. Give the Rockets credit for battling, but I just didn't see enough determination from the home team.
• You've got to love the E.E.C. It is slowly becoming my favorite rink to call a game in. The crowd was energetic, the sight lines are tremendous, and you won't find a better junior rink in Western Canada. I used to think Spokane's Memorial Arena was the 'cat's meow' but every time the Rockets play in there, the place isn't even half full. Spokane's arena doesn't hold a candle to Everett's in terms of atmosphere.
• Can you believe the Rockets scored just 3 goals after three games last season? This year they've already scored 12.
• The coaching staff have to be concerned about the penalty kill. While the Rockets have given up just 3 even strength goals, they've given up 9 power play markers.
• Milan Kytnar returns to the lineup tonight for the Rockets. The 18 year-old will meet the team in Vancouver for tonight's tilt with the Giants. Kytnar didn't play last night because of a lack of a U.S visa.
• James McEwan is a game time decision tonight against the Giants. The Rockets team captain sat out last night's game with a bad groin.
• Just to clarify, we are on the air tonight at 6:35 with the pre-game show and the play-by-play a 7.
• The Giants expect over 13 thousand fans for tonight's home opener.
• I met a Tips fan last night that regularly reads this blog. He asked me why I don't have other WHL news on this site like other bloggers do. I just think he answered his own question. I see no point in repeating what others have on their blogs. If you want to find out about a trade, you go to the WHL website. If you want to hear about player movement, Gregg Drinnan or Alan Caldwell do a tremendous job on thier blogs of keeping fans up-to-date. When I visit a blog, I want to find out something new, not repeat something I just read on another site two minutes ago.