Wudrick leads Rockets to win

(Photo courtesy of Marissa Baecker. Check out her website at http://www.shootthebreeze.ca/)

• Geordie Wudrick had the magic touch Friday night. Seattle forward Burke Gallimore, not so much. The Kelowna Rockets 19 year-old forward scored twice and added an assist leading his team to a 5-0 win over the T-Birds. Wudrick was capitalizing on his chances while Gallimore found himself robbed twice by Rockets goaltender Mark Guggenberger. Had Gallimore scored on his chances (see picture above), which were few and far between in this game, the visiting T-Birds may have had a chance. Those failed scoring attempts quickly took the wind out of the sails of the T-Birds, with the home team cruising to the win.


• Wudrick played well on a line with Brandon McMillan and Lucas Bloodoff. The veteran trio created some great scoring chances, with Wudrick scoring two tremendous goals by showing quick-soft hands. It was Wudrick's 7th multi-goal game this season and second two goal effort in five games.


• Brandon McMillan extended his point streak to six games with a goal and two assists. McMillan's goal was his 50th of his career.


• Evan Bloodoff has made an immediate impact since returning to the lineup five games ago. Bloodoff scored once last night and now has three goals in five games since returning from the injury list. Bloodoff would be on pace for a 40 goal season had he not missed the first 63 games of the regular season. Could he have maintained this pace? Likely not, but it's still interesting none the less.


• Mark Guggenberger had an easy night making 16 saves for his 8th shutout of his career. The 16 shots allowed tied a Rockets seasonal low for shots allowed in one game. The Rockets also allowed 16 shots on goal October 10th in a 7-1 win over Prince George.


• The Rockets won back-to-back games for the first time since a 3-2 win over Lethbridge February 5th followed by a 1-0 win in Chilliwack a night later.


• The T-Birds have been bit by the injury bug on defence, so much so, they've been forced into using overage forward Lindsey Nielsen on the back end.


• The T-Birds reminded me so much of a Rockets team in 2006-2007. Playing out the season knowing you are going to miss the playoffs is never easy. While playing for pride and a position on next years team, getting down three goals halfway through the hockey game is tough to bounce back from.


• Sixteen year-old Jason Siebert made his WHL debut against the T-Birds. The Rockets first round pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, Siebert was almost credited with his first career goal, but the marker was disallowed after Siebert appeared to slide into Seattle goaltender Calvin Pickard, with Pickard attempting to freeze the puck for a face-off.


• The win keeps the Rockets two points up on 7th place Kamloops and four points up on 8th place Chilliwack.