Rockets Face Americans in Round 2

• The Kelowna Rockets will face the Tri City Americans in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Americans eliminated the Everett Silvertips in 5 games. Game one of the series will most likely be played Friday and Saturday in Tri City with games three and four in Kelowna Tuesday and Wednesday. Those dates are subject to change.
• These two teams last met in the playoffs in 2004, with the Rockets winning in 6 games. That season the Rockets had home ice advantage, this season the Americans get the extra game at home.
• The Rockets lost 5-2 and 4-1 in Tri City this season, yet beat the Americans 3-1 and 3-2 at Prospera Place. Overall both teams scored 12 goals against one another.
• Riley McIntosh will be looking forward to this series. The Tri City Americans defenseman was traded by the Rockets earlier this season. McIntosh played 38 regular season games with the Americans, picking up 5 points (0+5=5). McIntosh failed to earn a point in an opening round series with Everett.
• During the season these two teams were separated by just three points in the standings. The Americans finished 2nd with 101 points while the Rockets finished 3rd with 98.
• How evenly matched are these two teams? The Rockets scored just four more goals than the Americans, while allowing 6 fewer against.
• The Rockets had 10 players with 30 or more points during the regular season. The Americans had 9 players with 30 or more points this season.
• The Rockets had 5 players with 20 or more goals, the Americans had four.
• The Americans registered 153 points from the defensive core this season. The Rockets managed 155 points from the back end. That number could be higher for the Rockets if you also include Brandon McMillan's point totals. If that were the case, you would add McMillan's totals to the defensive core and subtract Curt Gogol's, considering the two essentially swapped positions.