Getting A Point They Didn't Deserve

• An artist can’t always paint a masterpiece! After two efforts which were pleasing to the eye of the Kelowna Rockets, last night’s game in Kamloops was anything but picture perfect. The Rockets were outworked for the majority of the night in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Blazers. Despite being outplayed, the Rockets still managed a point for the 8th straight game. The Rockets 6 game winning streak did come to an end though.
• The Rockets as a group fought the puck all night long. The passing wasn’t crisp, the mental mistakes were many, and as an observer it was frankly frustrating to watch. The Blazers were the better team in this one, but outside of their work ethic, they too had struggles offensively.
• Kristofer Westblom wasn’t given first star status, but the Kelowna Rockets goaltender was the best player on the ice. Westblom was the reason why his team earned a point in a game they never real deserved being in, and was the reason why the Blazers had to work 65 minutes and 4 shooters before earning the two points. Westblom was especially good in the shootout where he stopped three straight shooters before Blazers Ivan Rohac scored the winner on a nice backhand through Westblom’s legs.
• The Rockets had one great chance to win in overtime when Colin Joe sneaked in from the point when the teams were playing 4 on 4. Joe received a pass from the corner that Leclerc got a piece of with his right pad. How odd would it have been for Joe to score in overtime? Joe has just one goal in 198 career WHL games.
• I would encourage WHL goaltenders to watch games on video. It would help them find the tendencies of the opposition during a shootout. Do you want an example? For the third time this season Rockets forward Jamie Benn took a shot to the blocker side of the goaltender in the shootout, a save Blazer netminder Justin Leclerc made. Benn had been successful with the move two previous times. I wasn’t surprised at Rohac’s attempt to go between the legs of Westblom for the game winner, considering he scored a similar goal on a breakaway against Westlbom in the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
• The ice crew at the ISC sure go to extremes to clean the ice for the shootout. A Zamboni was brought onto the ice to clear the shooting lanes and creases of any debris. The cleanup job also included the linesman using shovels at both ends to make sure a buildup of snow didn’t play a factor for the shooters. I was later told the league has sent out a memo requiring all teams to use a Zamboni from now on to clear the ice for a shootout.
• It was interesting to talk with new Blazers head coach Greg Hawgood before the game. In looking at his bio, it showed he played at 5’10 and 190 pounds in his time in the NHL. If he’s 5’10, I must be 6 feet tall! Hawgood scored 48 goals one season as a defenseman for the Blazers. Despite the impressive totals he was still a 10th round pick of the Boston Bruins.
• It was nice to run into Blazers trainer Colin ‘Toledo’ Robinson before the game. Robinson and I go back to the Swift Current Broncos in my early days of play-by-play calling. Robinson and I were roommates on the road with the mighty Broncos in the Todd McLellan era. In fact Robinson is to blame for my goal scoring call that I've stuck with for 12 seasons. In my first year in Swift Current, on a long bus ride back from Prince Albert, Robinson listened to a tape recording of my play-by-play and said “You have to get more excited”. I took his advice and the rest is history.
• The Rockets elected to drive directly from Kamloops to Everett for Friday’s game against the Tips. The coaching staff believe the extra day in Everett will better prepare the team for their greatest challenge of the year...three games in three nights. The Rockets play three games in three nights just twice this season.
• Rockets defenseman Tyler Myers is ranked No. 2 among WHL skaters, according to NHL Central Scouting¹s rankings of 2008 draft-eligible players. Luke Schenn is ranked fourth. Kyle Beach of the Everett Silvertips is the top-ranked skater in the WHL.
• I took a camera to the game last night, and will share the pic's later today.