Shootout Success...Finally!

• The Rockets were involved in their 9th shootout game of the season, and after six straight shootout losses, Tyson Barrie scored the game winner in the teams 33rd win of the season. The Rockets are 3 and 6 this season in the shootout. The Rockets have shootout wins over the Oil Kings, Vancouver and Seattle. The Rockets have suffered losses in the shootout to Moose Jaw (twice), Medicine Hat, Kamloops (twice) and Lethbridge.
• Three of the Rockets four shooters scored in the shootout. While Barrie was credited with the game winner, Brady Leavold and Colin Long also scored. Three of the Rockets four shooters who scored were right hand shots. Cody Almond was the only one to miss with a left hand blade.
• Oil Kings goaltender Alex Archibald was very good in this one. Archibald was steady, making some nice saves when the Rockets threatened late in the 2nd to make it 3-1. Instead it was just a one goal game before the Oil Kings found the equalizer 14 minutes into the third.
• Lucas Bloodoff was booted out of this game after a five minute major penalty in the second period for boarding. While the fans didn't like the call, Oil Kings forward Brent Raedeke was down for several minutes before skating slowly off the ice. Raedeke stayed in the game while Bloodoff had an early shower.
• I still love the one referee system. Matt Kirk called a great game Saturday night. Rockets fans won't agree considering the Rockets were given 27 minutes in penalties compared to the Oil Kings 12, but Kirk was right on the money the majority of the night.
• It was great to run into Rocky Thompson before the game. The Oil Kings assistant coach was one of my favorite interviews when he played junior in Medicine Hat and Swift Current, and he again didn't disappoint in a pre-game chat. I will post the interview here on Sunday, as our chat revolved around fighting. Thompson and I don't know each other well, but he and I were with the Broncos back in the 1996-97 season. Thompson was acquired along with Josh Green from the Tigers that year in a lopsided trade that would never be pulled off today. Thompson was the heavy weight champion when he played junior in the mid 90's, and like so many tough players on the ice, he's a class act off it.
• Oil Kings forward Brett Breitkreuz must have been licking his chops when he was on the ice surface in overtime. How sweet would it have been for him to score the game winner against his old team? I thought maybe he'd get a chance in the shootout, but the coaching staff elected to keep him on the bench as a spectator.
• How about the Prospera Place ice crew's ability to quickly clean the ice for the shootout? Unbelievably quick.Wow! It was as painful as a root canal when the Rockets were involved in a shootout game in Kamloops earlier this month. The ice crew at Prospera made 3 passes, and it was game on. Now that's the way it should be done.