Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets will try to snap a three game road losing streak tonight when they face the Everett Silvertips. Tonight’s game is the second of four meetings between these two teams this season. The Tips were a 5-4 winner back on October 17th. The Rockets are making their first of just two visits to the Comcast Arena. The Rockets make a return visit on December 2nd. The two teams close out the seasonal series January 6th in Kelowna. Tonight’s game is the first of three games in three nights for the Rockets, who visit Portland tomorrow and Spokane on Sunday. The Rockets return home to face Portland next Wednesday before back-to-back games in Prince George. Overall the Rockets play 6 of their next 7 games on the road.
Digging Deeper: Last season the Rockets were 1-1-0-0 in Everett, losing 8-6 and recording a 3-2 win. In the 3-2 victory February 21st, Tyler Myers scored twice while the Rockets fired 46 shots on net in the one goal win. Myers was named the games first star. Adam Brown was the third star in the game after making 24 saves after replacing starter Mark Guggenberger. Brown did not allow a goal in the relief appearance.
Winning in Everett Ain’t Easy: The Rockets are 4-4-1-1 with one tie in 11 games in Everett lifetime. The one tie came during the 2004-2005 season (2-2). The Rockets have been shutout twice in Everett but have also managed to shut out the Tips on home ice once, November 28, 03 in a 1-0 win. Kelly Guard made just 13 saves in the victory. In the first four games ever between these two teams only 8 goals were scored, with three of those games ending in shutouts. The most goals these two teams have combined for is 14, in a Silvertips 8-6 win October 17, 2008.
Last Game Recap: Kyle St. Denis scored the game winning goal with about 5 and a half minutes left in the third period in a 2-1 win Wednesday afternoon over the Red Deer Rebels. Lucas Bloodoff also scored a power play goal in the win. The Rockets were 1 for 3 on the power play despite being out-shot 33-29 in the game. Adam Brown was the best player on the ice and was named the games first star.
Representing the ‘Dub’: Two members of the Rockets will play for the WHL when a touring Russian team makes a stop in Victoria and Kelowna next month as part of the Subway Super Series. Brandon McMillan will be joined by teammate Tyson Barrie. McMillan will play in the game in Kelowna on November 26th while Barrie will play in both games. Ryan Huska is an assistant coach for both games along with Giants bench boss Don Hay. Rockets athletic therapist Jeff Thorburn is part of the Team Canada training staff for both games.
Extra Man Mayhem: The Rockets have scored a power play goal in seventeen of the twenty games this season. They failed to score a power play goal against Kamloops September 25th, Tri City October 23rd and against Spokane October 30th. The Rockets own the 5th best power play in the league. Only Vancouver, Tri City and Calgary have scored more power play goals.
Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Brandon McMillan has points in twelve of the thirteen games he’s played this season. McMillan has 7+15=22 this season and has five goals in his last six games. Stepan Novotny has gone five games without a goal. Novotny has two assists in his last five games. Shane McColgan has points in 15 of his last 17 games. McColgan has 6+17=23 over that period. McColgan has a point in 16 of the 20 games he’s played this season. McColgan has not scored a goal in eight games. His last goal was October 23rd in Tri City. Kyle St. Denis is four goals shy of his career high of 16 set two seasons ago. St. Denis is riding a four game goal scoring streak. St. Denis has 8 goals in his last 11 games.
Game Day Tidbits: The Rockets have been involved in nine-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 5-3-1-0 in those nine games…Kyle St. Denis leads the team with 7 power play goals apiece….Mitchell Callahan is a team high +9….Curt Gogol has 199 career WHL penalty minutes. ..Shane McColgan has a team high 18 assist, three better than Brandon McMillan’s 15…McColgan is tied with Medicine Hat’s Emerson Item and Red Deer’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for the WHL scoring lead by rookies…Tyson Barrie is riding a 8 game point streak after missing 8 straight games after being injured against Kamloops on September 25th. Barrie has 3+10=13 over those eight games…The Rockets are 11-8-1-0 after twenty games this season. Last year the Rockets were 11-9-0-0 after twenty games…The Rockets have scored 75 goals in twenty games this season after scoring 75 times in the teams first twenty games one season ago…The Rockets have allowed 66 goals against this season after surrendering 63 goals after twenty games last year…Ryan Huska has 96 regular season victories as the Rockets head coach.
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