Rockets Game Notes vs. Tigers

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Tigers are meeting for the first time this season. The Rockets return the favor with a stop in the ‘Gas City’ January 26th. These two teams met twice last season with the Rockets going 1-1-0-0 with a 7-4 loss in the Hat before earning a 3-2 victory at Prospera Place January 3rd. Following tonight’s game the Rockets are back on the bus for a 6 game road trip before Christmas, which includes 6 games in 9 nights in the Eastern Conference. The Rockets are in Lethbridge Friday, Regina Sunday and Moose Jaw Tuesday night. The Rockets travel to Brandon Wednesday, Prince Albert Friday before concluding the trip Saturday December 15th in Saskatoon. The team’s next home game following tonight’s tilt is December 28th against the Kamloops Blazers. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having recorded a point in 14 of their last 17 games (11-3-1-2). The Rockets enter tonight’s game having won 6 of their last 7 home games, with points in 8 of their last 9 (5-1-1-1). The Rockets head into a portion of their schedule playing 8 of their next 10 games on the road.

Here Kitty Kitty: Since the start of the 2000-2001 season, the Rockets are 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 home games against the Tigers. In five of those last 10 meetings, the winning team has scored 5 goals. The Tigers have managed to shutout the Rockets once over that stretch, in a 4-0 victory January 14, 2006.

Red Hot/Cold as Ice Rockets:

Colin Long: Has points in 5 straight games (4+4=8).
Brady Leavold: One goal in his last ten games. Leavold had three fighting majors in first four games as a Rocket. Since then Leavold has just one fighting major in his last 20 games.
Tyson Barrie: 1+5=6 last 5 games Cody Almond: Ten games no goal. Last goal was Nov 7th vs. Rebels
Jamie Benn: 1 goal last 7 games Myles MacRae: Three goals in his last three games.
Luke Schenn: 1+4=5 in last three games.

Gearing Up to Head East: The Rockets begin a 6 game in 9 night Eastern Conference road trip Friday. The Rockets last visit to the prairies for an extended road trip was in October of 2005 when the team went 5-0-0-0. It’s not the first time the Rockets have had that type of success though. The Rockets were also 5-0-0-0 back in December of 2003 and again were 5-0-0-0 in December of 2000 through the prairies. The most unsuccessful trip was in December of 2001 when the team went 0-4-1-0, losing three of those games by a single goal. The only point on the trip was a 5-4 overtime loss in Brandon.

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….Colin Long is now 8th in league scoring…Rockets captain James McEwan has missed six games with a concussion…Luke Schenn was one of 37 players named to Team Canada’s training camp roster on Monday. Schenn could become the fifth Rockets player to play for Canada at the World Junior’s. The other Rocket representatives are Chuck Kobasew, Josh Gorges, Shea Weber and Blake Comeau. Team Canada’s main camp starts Monday in Calgary…The Rockets have scored 103 goals this season, fourth most in the Western Conference and 6th best in the WHL….Rockets goaltender Kristofer Westblom has started in twelve of the team’s last sixteen games, posting a record of 8-3-1-1. It stands to reason that Westblom has been in goal in 12 of the Rockets 16 wins this season…Colin Long has 11 more points than he did all of last season….The Rockets have 16 wins this season, just 6 shy of the 22 they had all of last season..… The Rockets have points in seven of their last 9 road games (5-2-1-1)…The Rockets have given up a power play goal in 23 of the 30 games they’ve played this season…The Rockets have been involved in a one goal game in 10 of their first 15 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…The Rockets are 8 and 9 in the shootout since it was adopted…The Rockets have just one loss in their last 6 home games (5-1-0-0). That one loss came at the hands of the Prince George Cougars in a 4-3 setback November 24th.

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 100th career game tonight.
Colin Long has surpassed his point total of 28 set last season. Long has 39 points this season.
Only three Rockets have played in all 30 games this season. Lucas Bloodoff, Brandon McMillan and Colin Long have dressed in every game this season.
Brandon McMillan has 7 more points than he did all of last season.
Luke Schenn’s goal last Friday night against Kamloops gives him 4 on the season, a career high.
Brady Leavold has 290 career penalty minutes heading into tonight’s game.
Tyler Myers is playing in his 93rd career game tonight.




Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:

Dec 7 @ Lethbridge Rockets 7 Kootenay 6 OTW
Dec 9 @ Regina Rockets 3 Cougars 4 L
Dec 11 @ Moose Jaw Rockets 7 Kamloops 4 W
Dec 12 @ Brandon Rockets 4 Hawks 2 W
Dec 14@ PA Rockets 1 Chilliwack 3 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. 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: 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: 9-5-0-1 vs. US: 4-5-2-0
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 9-2-1-1 4-1-0-0 5-1-1-1
December: 12 1-1-0-0 1-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
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)