Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Americans are meeting for the second time this season. The Americans beat the Rockets opening night in Kelowna by a 6-5 score in overtime. Tonight’s game is one of just two stops the Rockets will make in the Tri Cities this season. The Rockets make a visit March 14th. The Americans and Rockets close out the seasonal series in Kelowna March 8th. Last season the Rockets were 0-3-1-0 against the Am’s and were out-scored 16-4. The Rockets failed to score a goal in Kennewick, losing by scores of 4-0 and 5-0. The last time the Rockets beat the Americans at the Toyota Center was February 25/06 in a 4-3 win. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having recorded a point in 11 straight games (8-0-1-2), having out-scored the opposition 39-19 over that period. The Rockets last regulation loss was against the Kamloops Blazers, in a 5-3 setback October 26th. The Rockets are playing the 7th game of seven straight on opposition ice. The Rockets are coming off a 5-3 win in Vancouver Sunday. Lucas Bloodoff scored the game winner with a power play goal with just over two minutes left in regulation time. Milan Kytnar scored 34 seconds later to give the Rockets a two goal cushion and their 13th win of the season. After tonight’s game the Rockets return home to play four straight games including Friday night against Kootenay and Saturday against the Prince George Cougars. The Rockets enter tonight’s action with 8 road wins, two more than the team accomplished all of last season.
More Against the Am’s: The Rockets are 2-6-1-0 with one tie in their last 10 regular season games in Tri City. The last time the Rockets managed to win both games in the seasonal series at the Toyota Center came during the 2002-2003 season. At one time the Rockets and Americans met 8 times in a season. In 2000-2001 the Rockets were 2-1-0-0 and one tie in four road games that season. The highest number of goals these two teams have ever combined for were 18. The Rockets and Americans skated to a 9-9 tie back on October 11, 1997. The Rockets most convincing win in Kennewick came March 8, 2000 in a 6-1 victory.
Red Hot Rockets:
Brady Leavold: Leavold is riding a five game point streak and is a +9 over that period.
Tyson Barrie: 1+5=6 in last 6 games Colin Long: points in 9 of last 10 (5+11=16)
Cody Almond: points in 7 of last 10 games (4+10=14) Brandon McMillan: 1+6=7 in his last 11 games
Jamie Benn: 6+4=10 in last 9 games Kyle St. Denis: 4+3=7 in last 10 games
Lucas Bloodoff: Goals in 7 of last 11 games (9 goals over that period)
Luke Schenn: Has goals in back-to-back games.
Rockets Milestones:
Colin Joe played in his 200th WHL game Sunday November 18th in Vancouver.
James McEwan is 6 games shy of 200 for his career.
Lucas Bloodoff is 6 games shy of 100 for his career.
Lucas Bloodoff is one goal shy of the 10 he scored in his rookie season.
Colin Long has surpassed his point total of 28 set last season. Long has 31 points this season.
Only four Rockets have played in all 24 games this season. Lucas Bloodoff, Brandon McMillan, Colin Long and Kyle St. Denis have dressed in every game this season.
Broadcasters Bits: Rockets captain James McEwan won’t play tonight after being sidelined with a concussion. McEwan suffered the concussion Sunday in Vancouver…Rockets defenseman Tyler Myers won’t play tonight. Myers is missing his third straight game with a shoulder injury suffered last Friday in Everett…The Rockets have out-shot the opposition in 10 of their last 13 games. The Rockets have also out-shot their opponent in eight of their last 10 games…Rockets goaltender Kristofer Westblom has started eight of the team’s last ten games, posting a record of 6-0-1-1. Oddly enough Westblom has been in goal in 10 of the Rockets 13 wins this season…Colin Long has been held off the score-sheet in just five of the teams first 24 games this season…Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn will represent the WHL against a touring team from Russia during the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge later this month in Medicine Hat and Cranbrook… The Rockets have points in 5 straight home games (4-0-0-1), having outscored the opposition 17-10 over that period…The Rockets have points in seven straight road games (5-0-1-1)…The Rockets have given up a power play goal in 18 of the 24 games they’ve played this season…The Rockets have been involved in a one goal game in 8 of their first 11 home games. The Rockets are 3-3-1-1 in those one goal contests…The Rockets have been involved in thirteen – one goal games this season, including ten of their last 15 games overall…The Rockets all-time are 8 and 9 in the shootout.
Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Nov 23 vs. Kootenay Rockets 6 Prince George 1 W
Nov 24 vs. PG Rockets 1 Kamloops 2 SOL
Nov 30 vs. Kamloops Rockets 2 Everett 3 OTL
Dec 1 vs. Portland Rockets 4 Hawks 1 W
Rockets 5 Giants 3 W
Rockets Players by Province: BC=13 US=4 ALB=3 SASK=2 MAN=1 EURO=1 Total=24
Rockets Season Highs and Lows:
Most Goals Scored: 6 @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W), vs. Blazers Oct 30th (6-1 W)
Most Goals Allowed: 6
Most Power Play Chances: 9 @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W – 4/9) vs. Warriors Oct 27/07. Rockets were 0/9 losing 4-3 in shootout.
Most Power Play Goals Scored: 4 @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W)
Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 4 @ Everett Sept 29/07
Most Shots Taken: 38 @ Portland Nov 17/07 (Rockets 4 Hawks 1)
Fewest Shots Taken: 9 @ Vancouver Sept 29/07 (5-0L)
Most Shot Allowed: 48 @ Vancouver Sept 30/07
Fewest Shots Allowed: 13 vs. Blazers Oct 30/07 (6-1 W)
Last Shutout: - Kristofer Westblom 28 saves vs. Calgary (5-0 W)
Last Time Shutout: - @ Vancouver Sept 29/07 – Sexsmith 9 saves (5-0 L)
Penalty Shots: Torrie Jung stops Hawks forward Luke Walker Nov 17/07 in a 4-1 win in Portland. Kristofer Westblom stops Everett’s Shane Harper in a 3-2 overtime loss Nov 16/07 in Everett. Torrie Jung stopped Michal Repik in the 3rd period of a 5-0 loss Sept 29/07.
Overtime Winning Goal: Jamie Benn scored at 1:07 of overtime Nov 2/07 in a 3-2 win over Chilliwack.
Shootout Game Winning Goals: Dylan Hood scores in a 4-3 win in Seattle October 6/07. Colin Long scored the game winner in a 2-1 win over Vancouver October 24th.
Rockets vs. Divisions:
vs. BC: 8-3-0-1 vs. US: 3-4-2-0
vs. Central: 2-0-0-0 vs. East: 0-0-0-1
Roster Stats:
Player total: 24
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s – 3 Westblom, McEwan, Leavold
19’s – 3 Dowzak, MacRae, Joe
18’s – 8 Long, Kytnar, Brusciano, L. Bloodoff, Jung, Schenn, Almond, Benn
17’s – 6 St. Denis, E. Bloodoff, McIntosh, Myers, McMillan, Hood
16’s – 4 Bowman, Barrie, Paradis, Verdino
Average Age: 17.8
Rookies – 7
Record by Month:
Month Games Record Home Road
September: 4 1-2-1-0 0-1-1-0 1-1-0-0
October: 11 5-5-0-1 3-3-0-1 2-2-0-0
November: 13 7-0-1-1 2-0-0-0 5-0-1-1
December: 12 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
January: 13 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
February: 11 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
NHL Draft Picks-Training Camp Attendees: Jamie Benn (Dallas 07), Torrie Jung (Tampa Bay 07), Cody Almond (Minnesota 07), Milan Kytnar (Oilers 07), Tysen Dowzak (Tryout Philadelphia).
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel (AM 1150)
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