Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers are meeting for the first of eight times this season (four at home and four on the road). These two teams met eight times last season with the Rockets sporting a record of 2-5-0-1. The Rockets were 1-2-0-1 at home and 1-3-0-0 at the Interior Savings Centre. Following tonight’s game, these two teams will clash November 3rd in Kamloops. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having won back-to-back games after a 4-3 shootout win Sunday in Everett and a 3-2 overtime victory over Prince Albert Saturday. Prior to those two wins, the Rockets had lost the first four games of the season. Following tonight’s game the Rockets are in Chilliwack Friday before hosting Portland Saturday night. Five of the Rockets next six games are on home ice.
Rockets Recap: The Rockets erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring three times in the third period and then won the game in a shootout with a 4-3 victory in Everett Sunday. Mitchell Callahan scored twice in the win, with rookie Zach Franko scoring the tying goal with just over a minute left in regulation time. Rookie goaltender Jordon Cooke earned his first WHL victory in his first career start. Cooke was named the games #1star.
This and That: Mitchell Callahan scores goals in bunches. His two goal effort Sunday was the 6th time in his career that he has scored two goals in a game….The Rockets shootout win in Everett was the franchises 6th shootout victory on the road. The Rockets are 6 and 10 in shootouts on the road dating back to 2005-06, when shootouts were introduced as a way to settle games at the WHL level…..The Rockets were involved in 11 shootout games last season. The Rockets were 7 and 4 in those games…The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in their first six games this season….The Rockets have one power play goal in their last four games. That’s one goal in their last 27 chances…Defenceman Colton Jobke is still looking for his first career goal. Jobke has gone 75 games without scoring. Teammate Mitchell Chapman has gone 66 games without a goal…This may come as a surprise. Brett Bulmer has fewer points after six games this season than he did as a rookie. In six games last season, Bulmer had 3+3=6. After six games this season Bulmer has 3+1=4….Geordie Wudick has one point (an assist) in his first six games. Last season Wudrick also had one assist in his first six games. In 2007-08, Wudrick had a spectacular start with five goals in his first six games…Last season after six games the Rockets were 3-2-1-0…The Rockets franchise is playing its 1375th regular season game tonight. The team has 699 regular season wins….The Rockets return six of their top seven point getters from last season. They include Tyson Barrie, Shane McColgan, Mitchell Callahan, Brett Bulmer, Geordie Wudrick and Cody Chikie….The Rockets were 35-31-0-6 last season and beat the Everett Silvertips in seven games in the opening round…Rockets head coach Ryan Huska is a member of the coaching staff for this year’s entry at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Defenseman Tyson Barrie attended Team Canada’s summer camp…Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton in July…Ryan Huska is coaching in his 222nd career game tonight. Huska has 122 victories as a head coach with the hockey club…The Rockets were 5 and 1 during the pre-season with two wins over Vancouver and Chilliwack before splitting a pair of games with Kamloops. Jason Seibert, Max Adolph, Zach Franko and Colton Sissons tied for the goal scoring lead with three each.
Injury/Illness: Rockets captain Tyson Barrie has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Barrie has misses a total of four games with the injury this season. Shane McColgan returned to the lineup last Friday in Vancouver after missing the first three games after having his tonsils removed.
Rockets next five games:
October 15th @ Chilliwack
October 16th vs. Portland
October 20th vs. Vancouver
October 22nd vs. Everett
October 26th vs. Brandon
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