Bad Mouthing the Blazers on the Scoreboard

• The bottom line was the Rockets were very good in this game while the Blazers were very average. Every junior team has an off night, and the Blazers chose their first game of the season in Kelowna to show off their bad side. The Rockets outworked, outscored, out-chanced, and outshot the Blazers in a lopsided game. Outside of the first 19 seconds when the Blazers scored to make it 1-0, it was all Kelowna.
• The Rockets allowed just two shots on goal in the first period, and a total of seven shots after 40 minutes. That's not bad considering the Rockets were without defenseman Luke Schenn (suspension) and Tyler Myers (shoulder).
• Give the Rockets defensive core credit for a job well done. Tysen Dowzak seems to be the Rockets whipping boy back on the blue-line this season. But let's give credit where credit is do. Dowzak was a +3 in the game, and deserves some credit for keeping the Blazers at bay.
• The line of Cody Almond, Lucas Bloodoff and Brandon McMillan combined for 12 points in the game. Almond led the way with a goal and four assists while Bloodoff had a pair of goals, giving him three in the last two games. McMillan had a goal and three assists in the contest, giving him 15 points on the season.
• The Blazers scored the first goal before the lights at Prospera Place had energized themselves to full capacity following the national anthem. Referee Derek Zalaski didn't care. He dropped the puck at center ice, and away we went. Maybe he has refereed a game recently in Quesnel where the dim lighting is a constant during Millionaires home games? Despite the lighting problem, Westblom should have made the save on his only mistake of the hockey game.
• The Rockets power play was terrific in this one, and was a threat to score every chance they got. Again the Blazers played passive against them, allowing the Rockets to move the puck around the perimeter, but this time the Rockets found seams and holes to get quality chances on net.
• Blazer goaltender Justin Leclerc couldn't be faulted in the loss, but allowing a soft backhand goal by Rockets forward Brandon McMillan didn't help the cause, making the score 4-1 Kelowna.
• The best Blazer? I liked Ryan Bender. He had a brain fart by giving up the puck on Colin Long's goal, but he played hard despite his team getting it handed to them on a plate. The captain was in an angry mood, and challenged Rockets forward Brady Leavold to a fight, which Leavold wisely ignored. The Rockets were in full command when Bender asked Leavold to dance.
• It was nice to see Kyle St. Denis score again. He hadn't scored in 8 games. St. Denis again brought energy to the rink playing with Evan Bloodoff and Dylan Hood.
• Just one fight in the game as James McEwan wrestled with Blazers d-man Mike Gauthier. No real punches thrown in this one. McEwan's fighting major was one of just 4 penalties the Rockets took in the game.
• Justin Bernhardt is the latest Rocket in the coaching staffs doghouse. Bernhardt has been a health scratch in two of the last three games. He follows in the footsteps of Myles MacRae, who has been a health scratch on a couple of occasions this season. If your keeping score at home, Bernhardt is tied with MacRae and Evan Bloodooff for being a health scratch two times this season. Let's just say, it's not a category you'd like to be leading your team in.
• Last night's win was just the Rockets second regulation victory on home ice this season.
• Likely a first for the Kelowna Rockets. Two American born players playing on the defensive core. Tysen Dowzak (Minnesota) and Kyle Verdino (Arizona) were out on the ice at the same time.
• Who was the last Rocket to register five points in a game? Blake Comeau had 2+3=5 October 30th, 2005 against Spokane. Cam Paddock was the last Rocket, prior to Almond, to record 5 points in a game against the Blazers. Paddock turned the trick with 2+3=5 against the Blazers November 3rd, 2001.