Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Chiefs are meeting for the third time this season. The Rockets are 0-2-0-0 after back-to-back one goal losses to Spokane way back in October. In fact the Rockets played the Chiefs twice in their first 11 games of the regular season. The Rockets suffered a 2-1 loss at home before falling 4-3 October 20th in Spokane. Following tonight’s game the two teams will wrap up the four game seasonal series at Prospera Place on February 27th. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having won two straight, after a 3-2 shootout win against the Edmonton Oil Kings Saturday night. Tyson Barrie scored the game winner. The Rockets won two of three games on a three game homestand including a 8-2 victory over Brandon Thursday night. The only loss came in a 4-1 setback to Chilliwack February 9th. In the big picture the Rockets enter tonight’s game with three wins in their last nine games (3-4-0-2). After tonight’s game the Rockets play three of their next four games on home ice including a date with Seattle on Friday night.

Rockets vs. Spokane Breakdown: Torrie Jung has played both games in goal against the Chiefs this season. Jung made 25 saves in a 2-1 loss October 13th and made 24 saves in a 4-3 loss October 20th. The Chiefs have out-shot the Rockets in both meetings this season, or by a combined total of 55-41. The Rockets are 2/10 in the seasonal series on the power play while the Chiefs are 4/10 with the extra man.

Rockets-Spokane Scoring:
1 2 3 OT Total
Rockets 0 4 0 0 4
Spokane 2 1 3 0 6

Quick Hits: The Rockets have lost 4 straight games in Spokane. The Rockets were winless this season and suffered two losses and a shootout loss in Spokane last season. The Rockets last win at the Spokane Arena was February 8, 2006 in a 4-1 win. Kristofer Westblom was named the games first star in the victory. Tory Bodie, Clayton Bauer, Alexander Edler and Kirt Hill scored for the Rockets in the win…Kristofer Westblom is 6-2-1-0 in 9 career games against the Chiefs dating back to the 2004-2005 season…Rockets forward Jamie Benn will miss his 8th straight game tonight with a sprained ankle. The Rockets are 3-3-0-1 in his absence…Torrie Jung has started 8 of the Rockets last 10 games….The Rockets have clinched a playoff spot in the Western Conference for the 16th time in franchise history. The team has missed the playoffs just once in 17 years…The Rockets have 5 road games left, with stops in Chilliwack, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and Tri City…The Rockets snapped a six game losing streak in the shootout Saturday night with a 3-2 win over Edmonton. The Rockets are 3 and 6 in the shootout this season with wins over Edmonton, Seattle and Vancouver. The Rockets have lost shootout games to Kamloops (twice), Moose Jaw (twice), Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. The Rockets have been held to a single goal 3 times at home and 5 times on the road this season. The Rockets have been shutout twice this year.

Who’s Hot-Who’s Not: Colin Long is +29 this season. Last year Long was -29. Long has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last three games. Brady Leavold has 2+4=6 in his last two games. Leavold has three-5 point games in his last 11 games. Brandon McMillan has one goal in his last 11 games. Cody Almond has goals in back-to-back games. Tyson Barrie has 2+6=8 in his last 7 games. Barrie has 37 points this season in his first year in the WHL. For comparison, Shea Weber had 18 pts as a 17 year-old while Mike Card had 29 points as a 16 year-old. Josh Gorges had 10 points as a 16 year-old. Lucas Bloodoff has points in 5 of his last 6 games (5+2=7).

Games Played Ticker:
Brady Leavold: 187 Colin Long: 148 Dylan Hood: 99 Tyler Myers: 120
Cody Almond: 147 Brandon McMillan: 113 Myles MacRae: 172
Kyle St. Denis: 55 Evan Bloodoff: 115 Tysen Dowzak: 154
Lucas Bloodoff: 127 Luke Schenn: 176 Colin Joe: 235

Rockets vs. Divisions:

vs. BC: 18-10-0-2 vs. US: 6-5-2-0
vs. Central: 4-2-0-1 vs. East: 5-3-0-2

Rockets Players by Province: BC=12 US=4 ALB=3 SASK=2 MAN=1 EURO=1 Total=23

Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Feb 22 vs. Seattle Rockets 3 Chilliwack 6 L
Feb 23 vs. Vancouver Rockets 1 Kamloops 2 SOL
Feb 24 @ Vancouver Rockets 1 Chilliwack 4 L
Feb 27 vs. Spokane Rockets 8 Brandon 2 W
Rockets 3 Oil Kings 2 SOW
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 10-2-0-1 8-0-0-0 2-2-0-1
February: 11 2-3-0-1 2-2-0-0 0-1-0-1

Rockets Season Highs and Lows:
Most Goals Scored: 11 @ Prince George Jan 11/08 in an 11-1 win.
Most Goals Allowed: 9 vs. Lethbridge February 1/08 in a 9-4 loss.
Most Power Play Chances: 11 @ Chilliwack Feb 2/08 in a 6-3 loss, @ Swift Current Jan 25/08. The Rockets were 0/11, losing 4-0.
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: - @ Swift Current Jan 25/08 – Guggenberger 30 saves (4-0 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: Dylan Hood fails to score Feb 16/08 in a 3-2 shootout win vs. Edmonton. Juuso Puustinen fails to score on Torrie Jung Feb 8/08 in a Rockets 2-1 shootout loss to the Blazers. 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)