Ito plays hero

• Codey Ito picked a perfect time to score his first Western Hockey League goal. The 17 year-old forward snapped a shot past Bruins goaltender Lucas Gore with just under a minute left in the first period leading the Rockets to a 2-1 home ice win. Ito's goal came on the power play in his first game back after being hurt December 27th against the Vancouver Giants.
• Ito's first period power play goal came after Brett Bulmer opened the scoring on a nice three way passing play with Antoine Corbin and Shane McColgan. Bulmer's goal was his 2nd in two games. Bulmer had a power play goal Thursday against the Bruins. Bulmer now has points in four of his last five games.
• Adam Brown was one of the main reasons why the Rockets earn two points in this one. Brown was named the games first star by making 31 saves. Brown was at his best, including a long 5 on 3 power play chance in the second period that the Bruins failed to score on.
• This game featured two fights including Mitchell Callahan tangling with Bruins defenceman Brandon Manning early in the first period. Callahan likely engaged with Manning after the 19 year-old knocked teammate Spencer Main out of the game with a solid hit less than 5 minutes into Thursday's contest.
• The other fight saw Rockets forward Tyler Matheson tangle with Bruins forward Blair Wentworth. After receiving a left to the jaw from Matheson, Wentworth went down awkwardly and left the game and never returned.
• Was it fatigue or the fear of losing that had the Rockets generating just 5 shots in the third period? The majority of the final 20 minutes had the home team playing a cautious game while the visitors looked for the equalizing goal. While the Bruins should have been the more desperate team in an effort to tie the contest, of the eight shots they generated in the final frame, few were of any threat in sending the game into overtime.
• What a great game called by referee Derek Herman. Herman was not whistle happy by blowing down the play after every questionable infraction. Instead he read the pace of the game correctly and outside of the two fighting majors, called just six penalties. What we ended up witnessing was a game that was not over officated. It could arguably have been one of the best called games we've witnessed at Prospera Place this season.
• The win snapped the Rockets 5 game losing streak.
• I will post the audio of Ito's goal on Sunday. Until then, good night.