Timing of No Tie-Down Terrible

• With the Rockets holding a slim 1-0 lead heading into the third period of Tuesday's game in Spokane, the Chiefs were looking for momentum. I don’t think they necessarily got it when Spokane’s leading scorer Drayson Bowman elected to fight his younger brother Collin just 10 seconds into the third. Both players did a good job of not hitting each other in the face, with the majority of the blows directed at the shoulder/upper arm area. That said, a fight 4 second after the Bowman brother’s bout did have a significant impact on the game.
• Rockets forward Brady Leavold got involved in a scrap with Spokane’s Dustin Donaghy. The spirited tilt saw Leavold’s jersey eventually pulled over his head, and the overage was not only given a five minute major for fighting but a ten minute misconduct for an improper tie down. So in essence Leavold was lost for 15 minutes, or the majority of the third period. On a team that is already shorthanded without Jamie Benn (ankle), Lucas Bloodoff (suspension) and James McEwan (wrist), losing a 25 goal man in a one goal hockey game had a huge impact.
• Why Leavold wasn’t using a tie-down is beyond me. If anyone on the Rockets is bound to get into a scrap isn’t Leavold the odds on favorite? Did he forget? If he in fact did, you can bet that won’t happen again this season.
• Whether Leavold should have fought Donaghy is up for debate. Leavold plays on emotion, was challenged, and accepted the invitation to dance. What Leavold will have to learn is he is far more valuable on the ice than in the box, and Donaghy goated him into a fight that took him off the ice in a one goal game. Even if Donaghy didn’t win the fight, it is clearly advantage Spokane.
• Torrie Jung was terrific Tuesday night. Jung made some tremendous saves and can’t be faulted for either of the two goals he gave up. While Chiefs goaltender Kevin Armstrong was named the games #1 star, I reversed the order on the post game show giving Jung first star status. He was clearly the better of the two goaltenders, win or lose. If he continues to play like that, it should answer the question of who is the Rockets number one goaltender.
• It was only the third time this season the Rockets have lost after leading after 40 minutes. The Rockets are now 25-3-1-2 when having the lead after two periods.
• As stated earlier, forward Lucas Bloodoff didn’t see action in this one after he was suspended for one game for a five minute major for boarding against Edmonton Saturday night. Without Bloodoff, Myles MacRae saw time on the power play, and responded with a solid game.
• The Rockets are now 0-3-0-0 against the Chiefs this season, with all three losses by a single goal. The two teams conclude the seasonal series February 27th in Kelowna.
• The Rockets are now winless in 6 straight road games (0-5-0-1) with their last win coming in January over the Prince George Cougars. The Rockets will try to get back in the win column on the road when they visit the Giants in Vancouver Sunday night.