Who was worse, the Rockets or the referee?

• The Kelowna Rockets were as bad as referee Pat Smith last night. OK, not that bad. The Rockets showed good energy and pace for the first 20 minutes and then seemed to fall asleep in a 4-2 home ice loss to the Kootenay Ice.
• The Ice scored a late first period goal to tie the game at one, a goal that appeared to rattle the home team. Giving up a late period goal is never a good thing, but is this team that fragile that allowing a late goal forces you to flatline for the remainder of the game? I hope this team has more mental resilience than that.
• I take a poke at referee Pat Smith, who had no feeling for last night's game. This was a great game for 20 minute and then Smith gets involved by handing out several soft, questionable penalties that slowed the game down and made for a choppy affair. Six penalty calls in six minutes in the second period is a clear indication this veteran referee has no feel for the game. These two teams wanted to skate, not kill one another with dirty play. But those weak calls only frustrated the two teams and turned a skating game into a chippy affair. I was told afterwards that some fans left early, not because of the play on the ice, but how the game was officiated. We gather to watch junior hockey to be entertained by the teams, not the official.
• I am not saying Smith was the direct result of the Rockets losing. That would be lame on my part. The Rockets are to blame for showing no spark in the final 40 minutes. But did Smith get involved when he should have stepped back and watched the two teams play? Yes!
• The Rockets played this game without leading goal scorer Kyle St. Denis. St. Denis was hurt in the second period of Friday's win in Chilliwack. St. Denis is out with a neck strain.
• I didn't like his play Thursday when he played for Team WHL against the Russian Selects but Ice defenseman Brayden McNabb impressed last night. McNabb had two goals and got involved in a third period scrap with Rockets forward Curt Gogol and was full marks for being named the games 1st star.
• McNabb went at it with Gogol after a high hit on teammate James Martin. Martin received a shoulder to the head by Gogol as the defenseman was coming out the left side of his own net. Gogol was ejected from the game.
• The most spirited scrap of the game came when Mitchell Callahan dropped the gloves with Ice forward Drew Czerwonka. Both traded punches with Callahan getting the decision. It was Callahan's first fight in 10 games.
• Where has Lucas Bloodoff's scoring touch gone? One goal in 15 games for a 20 year-old forward is a concern.