Rockets Game Notes vs. Tigers

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets open a four game road trip tonight with a stop in Medicine Hat against the Tigers. It’s the first of three meetings between these two teams this season. After tonight the Rockets host the Tigers January 30th before the Rockets return the favor February 25th. Last season Kelowna was 1-0-0-1 against Medicine Hat. The Rockets were a 4-3 overtime winner at home and fell 4-3 in a shootout in the ‘Hat’. The Rockets have gone six games without earning two points in Medicine Hat. The last Rockets win at the Arena was in an 8-2 victory February 12, 2003. Overall the Rockets have won three straight after a 4-2 home ice win over Everett Wednesday night. Colin Long scored twice and added an assist while Tyler Myers and Lucas Bloodoff – into an empty net – also scored for the 3-2-0-0 Rockets. After tonight’s game the Rockets are in Lethbridge tomorrow night, in Cranbrook Sunday before making a stop in Vancouver next Friday. The Rockets next home game is next Saturday against the Prince George Cougars.

Breaking It Down: Of the eighteen goals the Rockets have scored this season, 11 have come on the power play (61%). Nine of the Rockets last 15 goals have come with the extra man. The Rockets have the best power play in the WHL (30.6%) and have scored the most power play goals in the league with 11.

5 On 3 Feeling: The Rockets have had the luxury of going on a five-on-three in four of their first five games. The Rockets have had 5 chances with the two man advantage and have scored 3 goals.

Dare to Compare: Last season the Rockets were 1-3-1-0 in their first five games. The Rockets scored 13 goals in their first five games, 5 fewer than this season. After five games last season the Rockets had allowed 21 goals against. That is 6 more than this season. The Rockets longest winning streak last season was 7 games.

Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Colin Bowman has points in four of his last five games. Bowman has 1+5=6. Colin Long has points in all three games he’s played this season. Long has four goals in his last two games. Long has registered 3 or more points in a game ten times in his career. Jamie Benn has points in the two games he’s played this season. Benn has 0+3=3. Tyson Barrie has points in four of his first five games. Dylan Hood has gone 21 games without a goal dating back to last season. Hood’s last goal was February 1st of last season against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Milestones:
Colin Long is playing in his 164th game tonight. Long has 139 career points and 46 career goals.
Evan Bloodoff is playing in his 134th game tonight.
Brandon McMillan is playing in his 131st career game tonight.
Tyson Barrie has 52 career points and is playing in his 77th career game tonight.
Jesse Paradis is playing in his 50th career game tonight.

Who’s Back: The Rockets return 17 veterans from last years team. Leading that list is last years leading scorer Colin Long. Long led the team in points (101) and assists (64). Second year forward Jamie Benn is also back. Benn led the Rockets in goals scored last season with 33 in just 51 games. Both Long and Benn combined for 64 goals last season. The Rockets return 6 of their top 7 scorers from a year ago.

Gone But Not Forgotten: Six players from last year’s team are no longer around. Brady Leavold, James McEwan and Kristofer Westblom have graduated. Leavold and McEwan are playing pro hockey while Westblom is playing Canadian college hockey this year. Colin Joe and Milan Kytnar were traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the off-season while Myles MacRae elected to leave the team and play his twenty-year old season in the BCHL.

Nine is Devine: Nine members of the Rockets attended NHL training camps this year. Luke Schenn was in Toronto, Tyler Myers in Buffalo and Brandon McMillan with Anaheim. Colin Long attended Phoenix Coyotes camp, while goaltender Torrie Jung was in Tampa Bay. Cody Almond was with Minnesota while Tysen Dowzak received a tryout with the New York Rangers. Lucas Bloodoff also received a tryout with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jamie Benn is the only signed player, and attended the camp of the Dallas Stars. The nine players attending pro camps was a team record.
Rockets Review: Last season the Rockets won 38 games and finished with 84 points. Those 84 points were good for 5th place in the Western Conference and a date with the Seattle Thunderbirds in round one. The Rockets would lose out to the T-Birds in seven games. The Rockets had 21 home ice and 17 road wins last season.

Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:

Oct 4 @ Lethbridge Rockets 2 Tri City 5 L
Oct 5 @ Kootenay Rockets 1 Portland 2 L
Oct 10 @ Vancouver Rockets 6 Blazers 2 W
Oct 11 vs. Cougars Rockets 5 Blazers 4 W
Oct 15 vs. Raiders Rockets 4 Tips 2 W

Rockets Players by Province: BC=9 US=6 ALB=5 SASK=1 MAN=1 EURO=2 Total=24

Rockets Season Highs and Lows:

Most Goals Scored: 6 @ Kamloops Sept 26/08 (6-2 W)
Most Goals Allowed: 5 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Power Play Chances: 11 @ Kamloops Sept 26/08 – Rockets were 4 for 11
Most Power Play Goals Scored: 4 @ Kamloops Sept 26/08 (6-2 W)
Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 1 @ Tri Sept 21
Most Shots Taken: 40 @ Kamloops Sept 26/08 (6-2 W)
Fewest Shots Taken: 27 vs. Everett Oct 1/08 @ Tri Sept 21/08
Most Shot Allowed: 33 @ Tri Sept 21
Fewest Shots Allowed: 17 @ Portland Sept 22/08
Last Shutout: NA
Last Time Shutout: NA
Penalty Shots: NA
Shootout Game Winning Goals: NA

vs. BC: 1-0-0-0 vs. US: 1-2-0-0
vs. Central: 0-0-0-0 vs. East: 0-0-0-0

Roster Stats:
Player total: 24
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s – 2 Dowzak, Lazaruk
19’s – 6 Long, Benn, Almond, L. Bloodoff, Schenn
18’s – 7 E. Bloodoff, McMillan, McIntosh, Myers, Novotny, St. Denis, Hood
17’s – 9 Barrie, Brown, Verdino, Gogol, Borejko, Bowman, Callahan, Matejka, Paradis
16’s – 1 Main
Average Age: 17.2
Rookies – 7

Record by Month:
Month Games Record Home Road
September: 4 1-2-0-0 0-0-0-0 1-2-0-0
October: 13 1-0-0-0 1-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
November: 10 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
December: 10 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
January: 14 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
February: 14 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
March: 7 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0

NHL Draft Picks-Training Camp Attendees: Luke Schenn (Leafs 08), Tyler Myers (Sabres 08), Colin Long (Coyotes 08), Brandon McMillan (Ducks 08), Jamie Benn (Dallas 07), Torrie Jung (Tampa Bay 07), Cody Almond (Minnesota 07), Lucas Bloodoff (Tryout Lightning 08), Tysen Dowzak (Tryout Rangers 08).