Game Notes vs. Bruins

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets make their first of the season to Chilliwack. It’s the first of 8 meetings between these two teams this season. Following tonight’s game the two teams hook up again Friday in Kelowna. Last season these two teams met 10 times, with the Rockets going 7-3-0-0. The Rockets were 4-1-0-0 at home and 3-2-0-0 in Chilliwack. The Rockets out-scored the Bruins 15-13 at Prospera Place while the two teams each scored 16 goals in the seasonal series at Prospera Centre. The Rockets are concluding a three game road trip tonight. The Rockets are coming off a 3-2 win in Seattle Saturday night. Colin Long, Lucas Bloodoff and Stepan Novotny scored goals for the visitors, while rookie Adam Brown earned his second career win in as many starts. The win came on the heels of a 8-6 loss Friday in Everett. The Tips had a 3-1 lead after twenty minutes and a 4-3 lead after forty minutes. The Rockets had a 6-4 lead with under ten minutes left in the third period before the Tips would score four unanswered goals to win the game. The Rockets were led by two goals from Jamie Benn and Tyson Barrie. Kyle St. Denis – on a penalty shot – and Cody Almond also score for the Rockets, who were 3 for 8 on the power play.

Seasonal Series vs. Bruins:
HOME AWAY
Oct 24: Tonight:
Nov 29: Jan 23:
Dec 6: Feb 22:
Feb 18: March 6:

Road Rash: The Rockets have allowed 7 or more goals in three of their last five road games. The Rockets have played 9 road games this season, tied with Seattle for the league lead. The Rockets are 3 and 6 on opposition ice. The Rockets have scored 6 or more goals on the road three times this season.

Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets traded 19 year-old goaltender Torrie Jung to the Lethbridge Hurricanes Thursday for a 6th round bantam pick. That pick will be upgraded to a 5th round selection if Jung plays with the Hurricanes as a 20 year-old next season. Jung failed to play a game with the Rockets this season after Kris Lazaruk was acquired from the Kootenay Ice just prior to the start of the regular season.

Home Cook’n: The Rockets are 4-0-0-0 at home this season, having out-scored the opposition 20-8. The Rockets are riding a six game home ice winning streak dating back to last season. The Rockets last home ice loss was a 2-0 setback to the Tri City Americans March 8/08.

That’s a Fact Jack: The Rockets have the second most power play chances in the WHL (86). Only Kootenay has had more (87)…The Rockets have allowed 48 goals against. Only Edmonton (63) and Kamloops (53) have allowed more goals than the Rockets this season. The Rockets have opened the scoring in four of the last seven games…After going the first two regular season games without a goal, Jamie Benn has now scored goals in six of his last eight games….Colin Long has 4+3=7 in his last four games. Long enters tonight’s game with 148 career points and is playing in his 173rd game tonight…Long has points in nine of his first eleven games this season…The Rockets have scored a power play goal in 12 of the team’s 13 games this season. The only game where the Rockets were held off the score-sheet with the extra man was in a 4-1 loss in Medicine Hat…Kris Lazaruk has started 11 of the Rockets 13 games this season…The Rockets have played in just three-one goal game this season. Those games were a 3-2 win Seattle Saturday, a 2-1 loss in Portland in game #2 and a 5-4 win in game #4…Tyson Barrie leads the WHL in scoring by defenseman. Barrie has 14 points. Ten of Barrie’s 14 points this season have been on the power play (4+6=10).

Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Cody Almond has points in six of his last seven games. Almond has 3+4=7 over that period. Almond is playing in his 172nd career game tonight. Kyle St. Denis has 4+5=9 in his last six games. Colin Long has been held off the scoreboard by Lethbridge and Vancouver this season. Jamie Benn has 41 goals in just 61 career games. Benn has goals in six of his last eight games. Benn has 8 goals over that stretch. Tyson Barrie has points in eight of his first thirteen games. Brandon McMillan has gone 10 games without a goal. McMillan’s last goal came Oct 26/08 against Kamloops.