Rockets Cash-In At ATM

• The Kamloops Blazers organization may want to re-think handing out their year end awards prior to the start of their final regular season home game. The new measure may have confused the home team into thinking the 72 game regular season schedule was in fact over. All joking aside, the Blazers didn't show up for the first 20 minutes, a period dominated by the Rockets, who carried a 3-0 lead into the intermission and a 16-0 advantage on the shot clock. In the end the Rockets left town with a 6-4 win.
• Despite the tremendous start by the Rockets and the dismal opening period by the Blazers, it took a 3rd period goal from Mitchell Callahan to finally seal a game that the Rockets appeared to have in the bag after the opening period.
• Ian Duval wasn't given a game star, yet the overage forward had a strong outing by creating several chances in the offensive zone. Duval ended the game with a goal and two assists, and along with Colin Long, caused headaches inside the Blazers zone.
• With a 5-0 lead, the Rockets found themselves in penalty trouble, essentially allowing the Blazers back in the game. Two quick power play goals, and the five goal lead was down to just three. Some of the penalties were clear infractions, some were just bad calls by a crew of Dan Cowley and Carl Poole. I thought both battled to see who could be the worse official, and at the end of the night it was a tie. It was laughable when Blazers defenseman Zak Stebner was fingered to the penalty box in the 3rd period for holding after punching Rockets forward Ryley Grantham in the back of the head.
• I have never seen Rockets head coach Ryan Huska so vocal on the bench towards the officials. I liked it. He had a bone to pick with them on several occasions and let it be known.
• Colin Long scored his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season in the win. A new career high comes after scoring 31 times last season.
• The Rockets lost Mikael Backlund and Lucas Bloodoff to injury. Backlund was hurt in the first period while Lucas Bloodoff was injured in the second period after sliding head first into the end boards after being tripped. After laying on his stomach for a few minutes, Bloodoff was helped off the ice by Rockets trainer Jeff Thorburn and Blazers athletic therapist Colin Robinson. Once he got to the bench, Bloodoff was seen making his way to the Rockets dressing room without any help. That's great news for an incident that looked scary at first glance.
• Who do the Blazers start in goal in Saturday's rematch? I'd be shocked not to see backup Jon Groenheyde after his relief appearance Friday night. After being yanked after the Rockets fifth goal, starter Justin Leclerc was relieved of his duties by Groenheyde who came up with some big glove hand saves off of Jamie Benn in the third period to give his team a chance at a late game rally.
• The win extended the Rockets winning streak to 6 games. The Rockets had a season high 6 game winning streak stopped February 16th in a 4-3 loss in Portland.
• The Rockets won for the 45th time this season, the first time in three seasons they've accomplished that feat. The last time the Rockets won 45+ games was in 2005-2006. That season the team won 46 games.
• The Rockets also won for the 18th time on the road Friday night. To think two seasons ago this team won just 6 road games.
• The Rockets are 8-0-0-0 against the Blazers in the nine game seasonal series.
• The best line may have come from color analyst Gord McGarva when reviewing the three stars in last night's game, where two of the three were captured by the Blazers. McGarva started the three stars by saying "as selected by the Kamloops Blazers Booster Club".