Will Did In Fact Beat Skill

• I had to check to see if someone threw me into a time machine and turned the clock back to 2003. What happened in last night's 5-0 win over the Calgary Hitmen still has me shaking my head. It felt like the good old days, when the Rockets were making a bid for a league title. Intensity, skill, a solid forecheck and a crowd that appreciated the efforts of the home team brought back such good memories. If you bought a ticket to last night's game you were treated to a gem. The Rockets scored four-first period goals in the teams most complete game of the season.
• Last night's win just proved to the Rockets, and their fans, that good old fashioned hard work can go a long way in playing with the best teams in the WHL. The players on the Rockets roster will likely be unable to play that complete of a game consistently, yet they now know that if they play as a team, they can no only compete, but defeat the big dogs.
• So do Rockets fans want to see Kristofer Westblom traded after that performance? Didn't think so. Westblom was stellar, making a big save off of Hitmen forward Ryan White on a first period breakaway after the Rockets had built up a 2-0 lead. Had White scored, the tide of the game could have turned in the Hitmen's favor. Westblom made 28 saves for the shutout, and was full marks for the games first star.
• Rockets third year defenseman Luke Schenn had a huge hit on Hitmen rookie Martin Stepan late in the second period. You can hear the audio of the hit and tilt at http://www.am1150.ca/. Schenn saw Stepan cutting across the Rockets blueline, and launched himself at the unsuspecting Slovakian. After the thunderous hit, Hitmen tough guy Ian Schultz came to Stepan's aid and fought Schenn, who not only crushed Stepan, but was the hands down winner in the tilt with Schultz.
• Justin Bernhardt was rewarded with two goals in the game. The 19 year-old scored identical goals at the left side of the Hitmen net after a mad scramble. Bernhardt was again at his best, echoing the effort of his teammates during the three game winning streak.
• The Rockets put on a clinic in shot blocking. It would have made former Everett Silvertip head coach Kevin Constantine proud. Tysen Dowzak, Tyler Myers and Colin Joe should all be applauded for sacrificing a shin to block a Calgary shot. I though the Rockets also did a great job of getting into the shooting lanes, eliminating several quality scoring chances.
• Eliminating time and space. It was a goal for the Rockets to give the Hitmen little time to use their speed and skill. It worked to perfection, as the Rockets often outworked the more highly skilled opponent.
• Don't be fooled into thinking the Rockets are all about work ethic, and nothing else. This team exhibits plenty of skill, and the puck movement again was tremendous on the power play. Colin Long led the charge, with his low panic threshold. With defenders closing in on him as he handled the puck, Long would simply hold on, before making a perfect pass to a waiting teammate. Long no longer gets moved off of the puck like he did even a year ago. Physical maturity likely has something to do with that.
• Brady Leavold had the Gordie Howe hattrick. Leavold got into a first period scrap, scored the teams 4th goal, and collected an assist on the Rockets second goal, scored by Jamie Benn.
• I felt sorry for Jamie Benn. While the rookie forward had a goal in the game, he probably though he could have had 4 more. Benn was stymied several times by Hitmen goaltender Dan Spence, who came into the game in relief of a struggling Martin Jones.
• The fourth line of Evan Bloodoff, Kyle St. Denis and Dylan Hood were a pain in the butt to play against all night long. The three-17 year-olds provided energy all night long, and made it a rough night for the Hitmen anytime they wanted to break out of their own zone.
• Again the fans were tremendous by giving the team a standing ovation after a flawless first period. In the final 30 seconds the crowd was again on their feet in celebration, which hasn't been seen in these parts for over a year.