Things that make me go hmm...

• You can down play the Rockets success on the weekend or you can celebrate it. I for one will chose the latter. After losing eight straight games on the road after a season opening win in Everett, it was nice to enjoy a 'w' no matter who the opposing team was. It marked the first time this season the Rockets earned back-to-back road wins. The Cougars were prime for the picking with the worst record in the BC Division, but they didn't hand the Rockets two wins, the visitors had to work for them.
• How much are the Rockets' impacted by the loss of Tyson Barrie? If you look solely at the power play statistics after 22 games, not that much. The Rockets scored 25 power play goals at this point last season with Barrie quarterbacking the power play. This season after 22 games, 23 power play goals have been scored. That surprised me. But after further analysis, Barrie missed seven of the first 22 games with a nagging groin injury which kept him from attending Colorado's training camp.
• The Rockets are drawing fewer penalties this season. Last year the Rockets had 132 power play chances after 22 games. This season they have been granted 114 chances with the extra man. That's a difference of 18, or about one fewer power play per game.
• Clearly the biggest impact with the loss of Barrie has been the ability for a defenceman to literally skate the puck out of his own end and down the length of the ice. MacKenzie Johnston doesn't do it nor does Mitchell Chapman. Both are defensive orientated. Damon Severson and Myles Bell attempt it occasionally, but with little success. Only rookie Cole Martin does it with any sort of success. That is the missing link with this team right now...a d-man that can rush the puck up ice. I am sure many teams have that same void.
• My belief is the Rockets are gaining traction but there is far more to give from the forwards. While it is easy to look at the defensive core for the teams early struggles, my belief is the forward core is strong enough to take huge pressure off of them. In back-to-back games in Prince George on the weekend, the top four point producers, which three of them are forwards, were not huge difference makers. That has to change as the team opens a seven game home stand Wednesday night against guess who? Prince George.
• The Rockets have scored the fourth fewest goals in the Western Conference. Averaging only 3.09 goals per game, only Seattle (2.75), Everett (2.5) and Prince George (2.17) score fewer goals per game. That also surprises me, or am I misguided on the quality of the forward core? Leave a comment below.