Rockets game notes vs. Tips

Tonight’s Preview The Rockets are making their 18th appearance in the WHL playoffs in 19 seasons as an organization. The only playoff miss was back in 2006-2007. Tonight the Rockets open the 2010 playoffs with a first round series against the Everett Silvertips. These two teams are meeting for the third time in the playoffs, with the Tips winning in seven games in 2004 and in six games in 2006. In both series, the Tips did not have home ice advantage, something they have the luxury of this time around. Game one and two are in Everett tonight and tomorrow before the series shifts to Kelowna for games three and four Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Seasonal Series Synopsis: The Rockets and Tips play in separate divisions, yet the two teams met five times this season. The Rockets met all other U.S based teams only four times. The Rockets were 1-4-0-0, and were out-scored 21-14. The Rockets outshot the Tips 170-151 in the five games and were 7 for 32 on the power play (22%) while the Tips were 7 for 24 (29%) with the man advantage. Adam Brown was in goal for all five games against Everett this season.

Feeling good coming in: The Rockets have won five of their last six games heading into game one of this playoff series. Over that period the Rockets out-scored the opposition 23-15. The Rockets had points in 19 of their final 25 regular season games (17-6-0-2). The Rockets were out-shot just five times in their final 25 regular season games.

Award Winners: Defenceman Tyson Barrie captured four awards at the Rockets year end awards banquet. Barrie was named MVP, top scorer, top defenceman and shared the plus/minus award with teammate Brandon McMillan. McMillan picked up the top defensive forward award while Shane McColgan won the rookie of the year. Spencer Main was the scholastic player of the year while Mitchell Callahan won the unsung hero award. Brett Bulmer was the most improved while Lucas Bloodoff captured the community award.

One step further: Three members of the Rockets are up for league awards. Tyson Barrie will face Calgary’s Michael Stone for the WHL defenceman of the year award. Shane McColgan is the Western Conference nominee for rookie of the year. The Eastern nominee is Red Deer’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Rockets forward Spencer Main is the Western Conference nominee for scholastic player of the year. The East nominee is Swift Current’s Adam Lowry. The award winners will be announced April 28th.

Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Since returning from the WJHC, Brandon McMillan has 16+21=37 in 34 games…McMillan had 25 goals this season, a career high after scoring 15 times in 2007-2008….The Rockets lost just three times when the 19 year-old scored...McMillan ended the season riding a season high ten game point streak….Adam Brown started twenty of the teams final twenty-five games.…Adam Brown was 13-3-0-4 in his last twenty starts…Shane McColgan had 1+3=4 in his final six games of the regular season…Dallas Jackson had 3+13=16 in 19 games after being acquired at the trade deadline. Geordie Wudrick had 19+15=34 in 38 games with the Rockets after being acquired from Swift Current in November….The Rockets registered points in 20 of 27 games following the trade deadline and went 16-7-0-4 over that period…Jackson has a point in ten of his last thirteen games (1+12=13). Jackson has not scored in ten games …The Rockets had more power play goals (82)as they did last season (80).

Game Day Tidbits: Geordie Wudrick failed to score a power play goal in 7 games in last years first round series loss to Medicine Hat. Wudrick did have five goals in 12 playoff games in 2008…The Rockets were involved in thirty-two (32) one goal games this season. The Rockets were 17-10-2-3 in those thirty-two games…Tyson Barrie led the team with 11 power play goals….Tyson Barrie had a team high 51 assists. Geordie Wudrick scored a team high 27 goals.…Six players on the Rockets roster have 29 games of WHL playoff experience. Lucas Bloodoff (7+5=12), Brandon McMillan (0+5=5), Tyson Barrie (5+17=22 points), Collin Bowman (0=4=4) and Geordie Wudrick (6+5=11) lead the way…Adam Brown has technically no playoff experience other than a relief appearance in the championship game of last years Memorial Cup when he came in for Mark Guggenberger….Guggenberger has 22 games of playoff experience after starting in every game in last year’s playoff run….The Rockets won game one of last years opening round playoff series by a 4-2 score….The Rockets were 3 and 1 in game one’s in last years playoffs. The only game one loss was a 4-3 setback to the Tri City Americans in round two.