Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets open a two game road trip tonight in Swift Current against the Broncos. The Rockets are in Medicine Hat Saturday before hosting Everett on Wednesday. The Rockets are coming off a 9-2 win over Portland Wednesday night. Colin Long (0+5=5) and Brady Leavold (2+3=5) led the Rockets attack while Jamie Benn (2+2=4) also had a solid game. The win, the Rockets 30th of the season, extended the teams home ice winning streak to 7 games. Overall the Rockets have won three straight, and 10 of their last 11. The only setback over that period was a 5-3 loss in Kamloops January 15th. Tonight’s game is the lone meeting between the Rockets and Broncos this season. Last season these two teams met just once, with the Broncos earning a 1-0 shootout victory at Prospera Place October 4, 2006. The Rockets are riding a five game winning streak in Swift Current dating back to the 2002-2003 season. The last time the Rockets suffered a defeat at the arena formerly known as the Centennial Civic Centre was October 6, 2002 in a 3-2 loss.
Brady is Back: Rockets forward Brady Leavold returns to Swift Current for the first time since being traded to the Rockets in early October. Leavold made his WHL debut with the Broncos December 30, 2003 against the Saskatoon Blades. Leavold had an assist in that game. Leavold’s first career goal came December 10, 2004 against Spokane on goaltender Kevin Opsahl. Leavold’s first fight came against Brett Sutter of the Kootenay Ice December 11, 2004. Leavold was named the Broncos rookie of the year in 2004-2005. Leavold has played 178 career WHL games, collecting 103 points.
Plus-Minus: Brady Leavold leads the WHL in plus/minus with a +34. Teammates Jamie Benn and Colin Long are a close second at +33. Long was -29 last season. Defenseman Tysen Dowzak is a +29. Last season the 19 year-old was -24. While Leavold’s +34 is impressive, Jesse Schultz was a +40 in the 2002-2003 season. Defenseman Brett Palin was a +36 that year.
Scoring First: The Rockets have opened up the scoring in 10 straight games. The last time the opposition opened the scoring was December 31st in a 4-1 win over Chilliwack.
Red Hot Rockets: Colin Long is riding an eight game point streak (3+15=18), and has points in 15 of his last 16 games (7+27=34). Jamie Benn is riding a ten game point streak (10+15=25). Benn leads the team in power play goals with 13. Cody Almond set a new career high in goals with his 16th of the season in Wednesday’s win. Almond has a nine game point streak (5+11=16). Almond has been held off the score-sheet just once in 13 games since the Christmas break. Brady Leavold is riding a 13 game point streak. Leavold has 14+16=30 over that period.
Scoreboard Watching: The Rockets trail the Vancouver Giants by 4 points for first place in the BC division. The Giants have 24 games left, with fourteen at home and ten on the road. The Rockets play the Giants in three of those games. The Giants have a home and home with Tri City this weekend.
Rockets Tidbits: The line of Long, Benn and Leavold have combined for 32 points in the last three games, including 29 in the last two…Leavold has goals in four straight games, and in 9 of his last 11. Leavold is +13 in January…While Brady Leavold’s 13 game point streak is impressive, Jesse Schultz had a 14 game point streak from December 28, 2002 to January 24, 2003. Schultz had 13+15=28 over that period…Jamie Benn has seven-two goal games this season, but has yet to register a hat-trick…Colin Long has 24-multiple point games this season…The Rockets have 22 games left in the regular season, 12 at home and 10 on the road…The Rockets have had the second most power play chances of any team in the WHL (284). Only Everett has had more chances with the extra man (307)…The Rockets have won 7 straight at home, with their last setback being a 4-3 loss to Kamloops on December 28th. The Rockets have out-scored their opponent 37-10 in those seven home games…The Rockets have points in 8 of their last 11 road games (6-3-0-2). The Rockets three road regulation losses over that period were against Kamloops (5-3), Vancouver (5-2) and Regina (4-3)…Rockets goaltender Torrie Jung has won his last 5 starts, having allowed just six goals over that period.
Rockets vs. Divisions:
vs. BC: 18-8-0-1 vs. US: 5-5-2-0
vs. Central: 3-1-0-0 vs. East: 4-1-0-2
Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Jan 26 @ Med Hat Rockets 5 Cougars 2 W
Jan 30 vs. Everett Rockets 3 Kamloops 5 L
Feb 1 vs. Lethbridge Rockets 3 Chilliwack 2 W
Feb 2 @ Chilliwack Rockets 6 Prince George 3 W
Feb 8 @ Kamloops Rockets 9 Hawks 2 W
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 10-1-0-0 7-0-0-0 3-1-0-0
February: 11 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
Rockets Players by Province: BC=12 US=4 ALB=3 SASK=2 MAN=1 EURO=1 Total=23
Rockets Season Highs and Lows:
Most Goals Scored: 11 @ Prince George Jan 11/08 in an 11-1 win.
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 @ Cougars Jan 11/08 (11-1 W), 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: 41 @ Prince George Jan 12/08 (5-2 W).
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)
Most Points by a Player: Jamie Benn had 2+4=6 vs. Prince George Jan 19/08.
Most Goals by a Player: Brady Leavold scored 4 goals vs. Prince George Jan 19/08.
Penalty Shots: Lucas Bloodoff fails to score on Justin Leclerc in 4-3 loss to Kamloops December 28th. 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, 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: 17.7
Rookies – 7
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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