Rockets Game Notes vs. Blazers

Tonight’s Preview: This is the fourth meeting of the season between the Rockets and the Blazers. The Rockets have beaten, lost in regulation and have suffered a setback in a shootout against the Blazers this season (1-1-0-1). These two teams last met November 14th in a Blazers 2-1 shootout win. Following tonight’s game the two teams won’t hook up again until December 28th when the Blazers make a return visit. The Rockets are playing game three of four straight on home ice. The Rockets host Portland tomorrow night. The Rockets were a 4-3 loser to the Prince George Cougars last Saturday night. Ty Wishart scored a power play goal at the 8:35 mark of the third period, which stood up as the game winner. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having recorded a point in 12 of their last 14 games (9-2-1-2), having out-scored the opposition 50-35 over that period. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having won 4 of their last 5 home games, with points in 6 of their last 7 (4-1-1-1).

Blazer Seasonal Series Breakdown: The Rockets are 1-1-0-1 in three games against the Blazers this season. The Rockets have out-scored the Blazers 10-8 in the three games. The Rockets are 2/17 or 11.8% on the power play in the seasonal series while the Blazers are 2/15 or 13.3% with the extra man. The Rockets have out-shot the Blazers 84-72 in the three games, including 32-13 in a 6-1 Rockets victory October 30th in Kelowna.

Period: 1 2 3 OT SO Total
Rockets: 3 4 3 0 0 10
Blazers: 2 4 1 0 1 8

Westy’s Success vs. Blazers: Rockets goaltender Kristofer Westblom has started in all three games against the Blazers this season. Westblom is 7-5-1-1 with 3 ties in 17 career games against Kamloops dating back to the start of the 2004 season. Westblom has two career shutouts against the Blazers with a career goals against average of 2.61 and a save percentage of .910.
Dare to Compare: While many feel the Rockets power play is light years ahead of where it was one year ago, the numbers say otherwise. This season the Rockets have scored 29 power play goals after 27 games, just 4 more than they scored with the man advantage after 27 games last season. But the Rockets have had 45 fewer chances with the man advantage this season, than they did after 27 games a year ago. The Rockets had 197 power play chances after 27 games last season as compared to 152 opportunities this season.
A Year Ago: The Rockets have scored 91 goals after 27 games this season (3.4 per game), 33 more goals than a year ago. The Rockets have also allowed 81 goals against this season, 15 fewer goals than the 96 they gave up one season ago after the same amount of games. The Rockets are +10 (91 goals for – 81 against = +10) compared to being -38 (58 goals for – 96 against = - 38) a year ago.

Red Hot Rockets:
*The Rockets are 9 for 43 on the power play in their last 9 games or 20.9%.
Brady Leavold: Leavold has points in six of his last 8.
Tyson Barrie: 1+7=8 in last 9 games Colin Long: points in 11 of last 13 (5+12=17)
Jamie Benn: 7+5=12 in last 12 games Kyle St. Denis: 6+5=11 in last 13 games
Lucas Bloodoff: Goals in 8 of last 14 games (10 goals over that period)
Evan Bloodoff: Has twice as many goals as a year ago. Bloodoff has 8 goals after scoring four the previous season. Bloodoff has 3 goals in his last two games.
Tyler Myers: Has scored goals in back-to-back games. Brandon McMillan: Goal-less in 12 straight games McMillan’s last goal was against the Blazers October 30th. McMillan had 1+3=4 in that game.
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 playing in his 97th career game tonight.
Lucas Bloodoff has 10 goals this season, the same number he scored in 69 games in his rookie season.
Colin Long has surpassed his point total of 28 set last season. Long has 34 points this season.
Only four Rockets have played in all 27 games this season. Lucas Bloodoff, Brandon McMillan, Colin Long and Kyle St. Denis have dressed in every game this season.
Brandon McMillan has 5 more points than he did all of last season.

Broadcasters Bits: Rockets goaltender Kristofer Westblom has started eleven of the team’s last thirteen games, posting a record of 7-2-1-1. It stands to reason that Westblom has been in goal in 12 of the Rockets 14 wins this season…Colin Long has been held off the score-sheet in just six of the teams first 27 games this season…Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn was named the player of the game in Canada’s 5-1 loss to Russia in Wednesday’s ADT Canada-Russia Challenge in Cranbrook.… The Rockets have points in seven of their last 8 road games (5-1-1-1)…The Rockets have given up a power play goal in 21 of the 27 games they’ve played this season…The Rockets have been involved in a one goal game in 10 of their first 13 home games. The Rockets are 4-4-1-1 in those one goal contests…The Rockets have been involved in fifteen – one goal games this season, including twelve of their last 18 games overall…The Rockets all-time are 8 and 9 in the shootout.
Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Dec 1 vs. Portland Rockets 4 Hawks 1 W
Dec 2 @ Chilliwack Rockets 5 Giants 3 W
Dec 5 vs. Med Hat Rockets 1 Americans 6 L
Dec 7 @ Lethbridge Rockets 7 Kootenay 6 OTW
Dec Dec 9 @ Regina Rockets 3 Cougars 4 L

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: 7 vs. Kootenay November 23/07 (7-6 OTW)
Most Goals Allowed: 6 vs. Kootenay Nov 23/07 (7-6 OTW), @ Tri City November 21/07 (6-1 L)
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: Colin Long scored at :44 of overtime Nov 23/07 in a 7-6 win over Kootenay. 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: 8-4-0-1 vs. US: 3-5-2-0
vs. Central: 3-0-0-0 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 8-2-1-1 3-1-0-0 5-1-1-1
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)