Rockets Game Notes vs. Blazers

Rockets host Blazers
Friday December 28, 2007
Game Time ‑ 7:00 pm

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Blazers are meeting for the 5th time this season. The Rockets are 2-1-0-1 in the first four games, having out-scored the Blazers 17-12, including 13-5 in two home games. After tonight’s game the Blazers again return to Prospera Place January 5th before the Rockets are in Kamloops January 15th. The Rockets enter tonight’s game with points in six of seven games (4-1-0-2), and have won three straight overall after wins over Brandon, Prince Albert and Saskatoon prior to Christmas. The Rockets are coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Saskatoon December 15th. Jamie Benn scored the game winner with .8 seconds left in the extra session for the team’s 20th win of the season. Tonight the Rockets open a portion of their schedule playing 5 of their next 7 games on home ice. The Rockets host the Blazers tonight before traveling to Vancouver on Saturday. The Rockets close out the long weekend with a stop New Year’s Eve in Chilliwack to face the Bruins.

Nerves of Steel: The Rockets have played in a league high 23-one goal games this season. The Rockets have played in a one goal game in 7 straight. The Rockets are 4-1-0-2 in those games.

Final 35: With just 35 games left in the regular season, the Rockets play 20 home games and 15 on opposition ice. Of the Rockets next 12 games, all twelve are against BC division rivals including four games against Prince George and three against Chilliwack and Kamloops and two against Vancouver.

Big Benn: Rockets forward Jamie Benn was named the WHL Player of the Week for December 10th through to the 16th. Benn picked up seven points in four games. He scored four goals, three assists and was plus four, helping the Rockets to a 3-0-0-1 record in that span.

Tyson Time: Defenseman Tyson Barrie has been selected to represent Team Pacific at this year's World U17 Hockey Challenge. This year's squad, comprised of the top 22 U17 aged athletes from Alberta and British Columbia, will compete in London, Ontario at the World U17 Hockey Challenge from December 27 - January 4. This is the unofficial world championship for this age level and the first stage for Hockey Canada to identify players for the National U18 Team and the World Junior Team. Barrie is expected to miss 5 games during his participation at the tournament.

Red Hot Rockets:
Colin Long: Long has points in 11 of his last 12 games (9+13=22). Long has multiple point games in six of his last 9 games. Long has 13 goals in his last 18 games.
Tyson Barrie: 1+7=8 last 11 games
Cody Almond: Snapped a 16 game goal scoring drought with a power play marker in Saskatoon December 15th.
Jamie Benn: goals in five of his last 6 games.
Luke Schenn: 1+4=5 in last five games.
Brady Leavold: 4+4=8 in last 8 games. Lucas Bloodoff: No goal last 11.

What the Opposition Broadcaster Should Know:
• Kristofer Westblom and Torrie Jung have shared the goaltending duties through the last 7 games. The last time either goaltender played in back-to-back contests was when Westblom started in a 3-1 loss to Chilliwack December 2nd before earning a 4-3 overtime win against Medicine Hat December 5th.
• No team in the Western Conference has played more games than the Rockets 37. Chilliwack, Prince George and Everett are next in line with 36 games played. Red Deer and Regina have played the most games with 38.
• The Rockets have scored the second most goals in the Western Conference (125). Only the Tri City Americans have scored more goals. The Rockets have also suffered 4 shoot-out losses this season. Only Swift Current has suffered more setbacks in the shootout with 5.
• The Rockets have 20 wins this season, just two shy of the 22 they recorded all of last season. The Rockets have 11 road wins, 5 more than all of last season. The Rockets have scored 65 goals on the road this season, the same number of road goals they scored all of last season.
• The Kelowna Rockets franchise is closing in on 600 wins as a franchise. The Rockets have 597 wins heading into tonight’s game. The Rockets are in their 17th season of operation, after breaking into the league as an expansion franchise in 1991 as the Tacoma Rockets.

Rockets vs. Divisions:
vs. BC: 9-5-0-1 vs. US: 4-5-2-0
vs. Central: 3-1-0-0 vs. East: 4-1-0-2

Broadcasters Bits: The Rockets have been held to a goal or less in 7 games this season….Last season the Rockets were shutout 13 times. This season they’ve been shutout just once, by Vancouver in a 5-0 setback September 29th…The Rockets have points in twelve of their last 15 road games (8-3-1-3)…The Rockets have given up a power play goal in 25 of the 37 games they’ve played this season…The Rockets have been involved in a one goal game in 11 of their first 16 home games. The Rockets are 5-4-1-1 in those one goal contests…The Rockets have been involved in twenty–three one goal games this season…The Rockets are 8 and 11 in the shootout since it was adopted…The Rockets have just one loss in their last 7 home games (6-1-0-0). That one loss came at the hands of the Prince George Cougars in a 4-3 setback November 24th.

Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Dec 29 @ Vancouver Rockets 3 Regina 4 L
Dec 31 @ Chilliwack Rockets 2 Moose Jaw 3 SOL
Jan 2 vs. Giants Rockets 5 Brandon 4 W
Jan 4 vs. PG Rockets 3 Raiders 2 W
Jan 5 vs. Kamloops Rockets 3 Saskatoon 2 OTW

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. Kamloops Nov 30/07 (7-4 W), 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 vs. Kamloops Nov 30/07 (7-4 W), @ 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 4:59 December 15/07 in a 3-2 win in Saskatoon. Tyler Myers scored at 3:58 of overtime December 5/07 in a 4-3 win over Medicine Hat. 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.

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 9-2-1-1 4-1-0-0 5-1-1-1
December: 12 5-2-0-2 2-0-0-0 3-2-0-2
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)