Things that make me go hmm...

• Four shorthanded goals in three games tells me one thing. This Rockets team is playing with a ton of confidence. When your penalty killing unit is passive, you are playing with little confidence and are almost scared to make a mistake. This Rockets team is playing anything but scared right now.
• Shane McColgan has 21 goals as a rookie. Who was the last Rockets rookie to score 25 goals? Justin Keller. Keller had 25 in 2003-2004. Two years later he was a 50 goal scorer.
• How is Travis Moen, Josh Gorges, Kyle Cumiskey, Chuck Kobasew, Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers and other former Rockets spending the Olympic break? I heard some are heading to Jamaica. Shea Weber and Duncan Keith have something else going on other than sipping rum on a sandy beach.
• I hate to see Torrie Jung's junior career ending on a sour note. The likable overage goaltender will play his final game in Kelowna tomorrow night. His team unfortunately won't make the playoffs, meaning his junior career will be over at seasons end. Jung is good enough to play pro, but I wish he could have ended his WHL days on a contending team. He likely would have been in that position had he not been a 20 year-old goalie. Face it, the market for a overage goaltending is never high. Jung was in a similar position as Rockets goaltender Mark Guggenberger at the trade deadline. While many suggested on this blog that the Rockets should have moved the veteran goalie, the interest simply wasn't there in that age bracket.
• I've always been a fan of Jung, always will. A very personable player who was always good behind the microphone. I remember the first interview I conducted with Torrie. After it was over I said to myself, this player can express himself like a pro. If he can play like one, the Rockets have a good goalie.
• I ran into several Seattle Thunderbird fans after Sunday's game at the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Kent. The group appeared to be impressed with the Rockets play and the collapse of the T-Birds on an overtime power play chance. As one gentlemen in the crowd of fans told me, "I wouldn't want to face your team in the opening round of the playoffs". We will see, but I agree that if this team plays up to it's potential, this is much better than just a .500 hockey club.
• I've stated on this blog that I am a bit of a germaphobe. So what happened to me in Kent before Sunday's game disturbed me. We are 45 minutes before game time and I visit the washroom for one last time. As I open the door I hear this terrible sound. No not that sound! A dude with long hair and a hat on is puking his guts out. As I attempt to do my business this guy is heaving...like really heaving. I dare not look. I have three thoughts going through my head. 1) Get my business done and get out of there as quickly as possible. 2) Why is this idiot not doing his business in the toilet? 3) How do I avoid this dude and not acquire the anthrax virus (I am assuming here) this gentleman contracted. As it turns out, he leaves the bathroom before I do. For the love of God he touched the door handle, now what do I do! What would MacGyver do? I use my right dress shoe to prop open the door and I escape from the scene without using my hands on the door handle. Nice work. As I see him walking down the hallway he starts coughing. I promptly go the opposite direction and take the extremely long way back to the broadcast booth. If this guy was the same one who made the complementary sandwiches in the scouts room, I'll be barfing my face off in about two days and all of my hard work will have gone for not.
• What is a germaphobe? It is defined as: Any person who is obsessed with cleanliness and defeating bacteria. These individuals will turn on faucets with their elbows and hand sanitize on an hourly basis. Ya, that's me.
• Why wasn't I invited to Las Vegas for WHL meetings? I would have reported back to all 22 markets for free!