Rockets Game Notes vs. Blazers

Rockets host Blazers
Saturday January 5, 2008
Game Time ‑ 7:00 pm

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Blazers are meeting for the 6th time this season. The Rockets are 2-2-0-1 in the first five meetings, out-scoring the Blazers 20-16. The Rockets enter tonight’s game riding a three game winning streak after a 6-0 win over Prince George last night. Kristofer Westblom earned his 2nd shutout of the season and 10th of his career in the lopsided win. Jamie Benn (1+2=3), Cody Almond (1+2=3) and Kyle St. Denis (0+3=3) led the Rockets attack, in a game that saw the Rockets score four power play goals and two shorthanded markers. The Rockets are playing game three of a four game home stand tonight. The Rockets host Kamloops tonight before facing Chilliwack next Wednesday. Overall the Rockets enter tonight’s game with points in nine of their last twelve games (7-3-0-2). The Rockets are playing their 6th game in 9 nights.

Breaking it Down vs. Blazers: Kristofer Westblom has started all five games in goal for the Rockets in the seasonal series with the Blazers. The Rockets are 6 for 32=18.8% against Kamloops with the power play this season while the Blazers are 4 for 23=17.4% with the extra man. The Rockets have out-shot the Blazers in four of the five games this season. The exception was a 2-1 shoot-out loss to the Blazers in the third game between the two teams.

Period Scoring Breakdown vs. Blazers:
Period 1 2 3 OT SO Total
Rockets: 7 8 5 0 0 20
Blazers: 5 7 3 0 1 16

A Night of Firsts: Sixteen year-old Jesse Paradis scored his first WHL goal in last nights win. Rookie Kyle Verdino recorded his first WHL assist, while veteran Colin Joe scored his first career regular season goal on home ice. Joe has scored a regular season goal in the WHL, but not in Kelowna. Joe scored his first career goal in Kamloops October 3, 2006. Joe’s lone goal in Kelowna came during the playoffs in 2006, when the 19 year-old scored April 9, 2006 against the Everett Silvertips. Joe’s goal against the Blazers in 2006 and last night’s marker was a span of 94 games. Also last night Colin Long got into his first career fight with a 3rd period scrap with Prince George defenseman Art Bidlevski.

Rockets Tidbits: Long was held off the score sheet for only the 8th time this season in last night’s win…Jamie Benn has 21 goals as an 18 year-old rookie. In comparison, Blake Comeau had 21 goals in his 19 year-old season with the Rockets…Brady Leavold has 32 points this season, just 3 points shy of his career high of 35 points (14+21=35) with the Swift Current Broncos in 2006-2007…Torrie Jung has started three of the last four games in goal for the Rockets…The 23 wins this season is one better than the Rockets had all of last season…Seven of the 10 teams in the Western Conference have allowed fewer goals than the Rockets this season. Kamloops, Portland and Prince George are the only teams to allow more goals than the Rockets 122…Tyson Barrie and Team Pacific suffered a 9-6 loss to Team West in the bronze medal game at the Under 17 Championships in London Ontario. Barrie will be given a couple of days off, and will likely suit up again for the Rockets next Friday in Prince George…The Rockets have now scored the most goals in the Western Conference thanks to last night‘s 6 goal outburst…Torrie Jung’s last start against the Blazers was March 16th of last season when he made 27 saves in a 3-2 shootout win.

Life without Luke: The Rockets are playing their 10th straight game without defenseman Luke Schenn, who is playing for Canada at the World Juniors. The Rockets are an impressive 6-2-0-1 without arguably the team’s top defenseman. Defenseman Tyson Barrie is missing his 6th game as he attends the Under 17 Championships in Kitchener Ontario.

Red Hot Rockets:
Colin Long: Long had his 7 game point streak snapped last night against the Cougars. Long had (4+12=16) over that period. Long has points in 15 of his last 17 games (10+20=30).
Cody Almond: has 6+5=11 in his last six games.
Jamie Benn: goals in eight of his last 11 games. Overall Benn has 10 goals in his last 11 games.
Luke Schenn: 1+4=5 in last five games.
Brady Leavold: 8+9=17 in last 13 games.
Torrie Jung: Jung is 2-1-0-0 in his last three starts with a 2.33 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.

Rockets vs. Divisions:
vs. BC: 12-7-0-1 vs. US: 4-5-2-0
vs. Central: 3-1-0-0 vs. East: 4-1-0-2

Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Jan 9 vs. Chilliwack Rockets 3 Blazers 4 L
Jan 11 @ PG Rockets 2 Vancouver 5 L
Jan 12 @ PG Rockets 4 Chilliwack 1 W
Jan 15 @ Kamloops Rockets 4 Vancouver 1 W
Jan 18 vs.Chilliwack Rockets 6 Prince George 0 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: 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: 10 vs. Prince George Jan 4/08 in a 6-0 win, 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 vs. Cougars Jan 4/08 in a 6-0 win, @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W)
Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 4 @ Vancouver Dec 29/07 (5-2 L), @ 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 22 saves vs. Cougars Jan 4/08 in a 6-0 win. 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 Bruins forward Cody Smuk in a 4-1 win in Chilliwack Dec 31/07. 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 6-4-0-2 2-1-0-0 4-3-0-2
January: 13 2-0-0-0 1-0-0-0 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)