Here Kitty Kitty!!

• You couldn’t have written a better script for the Kelowna Rockets this weekend. The Rockets manufactured offense and were stingy in allowing the opponent the same luxury in back-to-back wins in Prince George. The Rockets out-scored the Cougars 11-2 in the two games after a 5-1 win Friday night, and a convincing 6-1 victory a night later.


• The 6-1 win Saturday had it's anxious moments though. The Cougars showed good energy right off the opening faceoff by creating some good offensive chances, yet the Rockets got the opening goal on just their second shot on net. Despite being outplayed in the opening frame the Rockets had a 1-0 lead.


• Lucas Bloodoff is now tied for the team lead in goals with Jamie Benn and Colin Long. Bloodoff scored a pair of power play goals, giving him 7 on the season. Bloodoff saw power play time playing alongside Cody Almond and Kyle St. Denis.


• The Rockets scored a season high four times on the power play Saturday night. Rookie defenseman Tyson Barrie feasted with the man advantage chipping in with three assists. Barrie is a power play specialist, but can also hold his own in the defensive zone. At 16, Barrie is following in the footsteps of former Rocket Josh Gorges - yet is playing in crucial situations - something Gorges wasn’t afforded until he was 18 year’s old.


• Barrie has 13 points this season, 3 more than Josh Gorges had as a 16 year-old with the Rockets in 2000-2001.


• The Rockets were 4 for 8 with the power play Saturday night according to the official game sheet, yet on the WHL website they were 4 for 9. On Friday the Rockets were 2 for 4 with the extra man. Add it up and the Rockets were 6 for 13 in two games, or 46%.


• Cody Almond again took control of Saturday's game with his tremendous work ethic. Almond won battles to pucks, created good scoring chances and was a thorn to play against all night long. Despite being extremely skilled, Almond was often times lazy. We see no evidence of that this season! He’s been nothing short of tremendous, and he’s still just 18.


• Torrie Jung was back in goal Saturday night after sitting out five games watching overage goaltender Kristofer Westblom take the torch. Despite the prolonged layoff, Jung was sharp in recording his 2nd win of the season. Jung made 19 saves, and was especially good when the game was scoreless and the Cougars were threatening on the power play.
• Overage forward Brady Leavold had a solid game for the Rockets with a goal and an assist. What I liked most from Leavold was when I heard he was trash talking the Cougars as the two teams exited the ice and were going to their respective dressing rooms underneath the stands. Al Bristowe, the Cougars radio host says it sounded like a political leadership debate, with Leavold having the loudest voice with a series choice words coming from his lips.


• The Rockets were without defenseman Tysen Dowzak, who has been hampered by a rib injury. The coaching staff thought it would be best for the dependable Dowzak to sit this one out.


• The win Saturday night was not only the Rockets 11th of the season, but it was the club’s 6th road win of the year, matching the teams win total on the road from all of last season.


• The win extended the Rockets winning streak to 6 games, and moved the team 6 points up on both the Cougars and Blazers for third place in the BC division. The Rockets play game three of seven straight on the road Wednesday when they travel to Kamloops to face the Blazers before playing three games in three nights in Everett, Portland and Vancouver.
  
  Random Thoughts:



• I was surprised to see the Cougars starting Real Cyr in goal Saturday night. I found that the Cougars played with very little confidence in front of the overage goaltender, who was guilty of allowing several soft goals in the two games on the weekend. That said, no matter how strong he played, the run support just wasn't there as the Cougars managed just two goals.


• The Rockets ability to work through adversity this season is extremely pleasing to see. Saturday night the Rockets weathered an onslaught by the Cougars in the first period and managed to hold a 1-0 lead after the opening frame. After the slow start the Rockets took control of the game and looked like a veteran team, not a franchise in the rebuilding phase.


• Lucas Bloodoff took a step out of his comfort zone by engaging in a fight with Cougars defenseman Garrett Thiessen. Bloodoff came to linemate Cody Almond’s aid, after Almond was sent flying by a big hit initiated by Thiessen. It was a clean hit, but Bloodoff didn’t like the fact that Thiessen took the opportunity to blow over his teammate. Bloodoff didn’t win the fight by any means, but showed again that this Rockets team is willing to fight for one another no matter what the circumstances. Good on ya Lucas!


• You can’t fault the media coverage for a lack of fans at the CN Centre. The Prince George Citizen newspaper – led by Sports Editor Jim Swanson – gets it right by leading with Cougars coverage, not the BCHL unlike another familiar newspaper Kelowna hockey fans may read. I am not saying the BCHL doesn't deserve coverage, but explain to me which is the better league and draws more fans per game? The Kelowna Daily Courier has Rockets coverage, but why it’s not ‘headline’ material is beyond me. I can tell you one thing, I sure know a lot about the Westside Warriors.


• And while I'm ranting, The local TV station in Prince George has a 30 minutes program called ‘Cougar View’. It features highlights and interviews with players and coaches every Thursday and Saturday. Why CHBC TV in Kelowna doesn’t do something similar is beyond me. Oh that’s right, it would take some work! We wouldn’t want to exceed the 5 minute sportscasts that CHBC offers up every day. CHBC can't compete with TSN or Sportsnet, so why not dive into local sports programming? How can you tell I just got off the bus? After 8 hours on the ‘iron lung’ I’m a little snappy.