Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and T-Birds are meeting for the second of just four times this season. Last night the T-Birds were a 4-1 winner. Seattle scored twice in the first period, and held a 3-0 lead with 5 minutes to go in the second period before Rockets forward Cody Almond made it a two goal game with his second of the season on a power play goal. The T-Birds would seal the win with a third period shorthanded goal from Lindsay Nielsen with Torrie Jung on the Rockets bench for the extra attacker. The T-Birds out-shot the Rockets 24-19, yet the Rockets out-shot the visitors 6-3 in the third. After tonight’s game the two teams meet in Kelowna February 22nd before concluding the seasonal series in Seattle March 1st. Last season the Rockets were 0-3-0-1 against the Birds, losing 4-3 in overtime and 4-1 in Kelowna, and falling 3-0 and 2-1 in Seattle. The Rockets are playing the second of four games in 6 nights. The Rockets are in Vancouver Monday afternoon for a 2 o’clock game before returning home to face Calgary Wednesday night.
Let’s Make a Deal: Eight-teen year-old Jamie Benn joined the team Sunday, after leaving the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. Benn was named the league’s coastal conference rookie of the year last season, scoring 42 goals. Benn is a 5th round draft pick of the Dallas Stars. The Rockets also acquired 20 year-old forward Brady Leavold from the Swift Current Broncos for a conditional draft pick. Leavold led the Broncos in fighting majors last season with 12, while chipping in with 14 goals and 35 points in just 55 games. Leavold has played in 133 WHL games, making his WHL debut December 30, 2003 against the Saskatoon Blades. Leavold is one of four 20 year-olds on the Rockets roster. The other three are James McEwan, Kristofer Westblom and Lyon Messier.
Being Shutout Sucks: The Rockets were shutout 5-0 by the Vancouver Giants last Saturday. The Rockets set a team record, with only 9 shots on goal. The Rockets were shutout 10 times on the road last season to go along with 3 times on home ice. 13 shutout losses last season was tough to take.
Quick Facts: The Rockets are 8-5-1-0 in Seattle since the start of the 2000-2001 campaign…The Rockets visit the T-Birds twice a season. Back in the 1998-99 campaign, the Rockets would make three visits to Seattle, while the T-Birds would return the favor…Rockets forward Jamie Benn made his WHL debut last night against the T-Birds. Benn left the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies to join the Rockets. Benn was named the BCHL Coastal Conference rookie of the year last season with 42 goals…Colin Joe returned to the lineup last night for the Rockets after missing the first four games of the regular season with a wrist injury…The Rockets have been out-shot in all five games this season…The Rockets have scored 13 goals so far this season after five games. Last season the team scored just 10 goals in their first five games…The Rockets are 1-3-1-0 after five games this season, which is good for 3 points. Last season after five games the Rockets were 1-4-0-0 for two points…The Rockets have scored five of their 13 goals this season on the power play…The Rockets last win in Seattle came February 26, 2006 in a 4-2 win…The Rockets won just 6 road games last season. They beat Kamloops and Prince George twice and Portland and Chilliwack once…The Rockets worst defeat in Seattle came January 19, 1997 in a 9-2 loss…The Rockets have eight players on their roster never drafted in the WHL bantam draft.
Tonight’s Notables: Rockets overage forward Brady Leavold is playing in his 135th WHL game tonight. 133 of those games have been played as a member of the Swift Current Broncos. Tysen Dowzak played in his 100th WHL game last Wednesday. Cody Almond is 5 games shy of 100 for his career. Colin Joe has the most games under his belt of anyone in the Rockets lineup. Joe has played in 181 games. James McEwan plays in his 175th game tonight against his old team, and enters tonight’s game with 454 career penalty minutes. Justin Bernhardt is playing in career game 175 tonight as well. Bernhardt has 95 career points.
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