Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play their 50th game of the season tonight when they host the Seattle Thunderbirds. These two teams are meeting for the first of four times this season. The Rockets are in Seattle (Kent) Sunday before the seasonal series comes to a close with games February 8th (home) and February 14th (road). The Rockets will play the T-Birds four times in their next eight games. The Rockets were 2-2-0-0 against the T-Birds last season and were out-scored 13-10. Seattle was one of only two teams to shut out the Rockets on home ice last season. Chilliwack was the other. Calvin Pickard made 23 saves March 23/11 in a 5-0 road win. The Rockets are playing the fifth and final game of a five game home stand. The Rockets are 2-2-0-0 in the first four games, winning the last two by shootouts. The Rockets enter tonight’s game with four wins in their last ten home games. On the road, the Rockets have points in eleven of their last sixteen road games (8-5-1-2). Overall, the Rockets have won seven of their last eleven games.
Who’s Hot: Cody Chikie has 1+2=3 in his last three games. Chikie had a five game point streak to start the season…Colton Sissons has goals in four of his last six games…Carter Rigby has eight points (3+5=8) in his last nine games…Brett Bulmer has thirty-six points in thirty-one games this season (20+16=36). Bulmer has just two goals in his last eight games…Shane McColgan has seventeen points (5+12=17) in his last twenty games, yet has just two goals in his last nine…Adam Brown has started in goal in thirty-four of the first forty-nine games. Who’s Cold: Zach Franko has one goal in his last 19 games. Yet in saying that, Franko has seven shootout goals this season in eight attempts. No player in the WHL has scored more shootout goals than Franko this season. Geordie Wudrick had five shootout goals last season and didn’t miss in any of the five games he participated in.
This and That: Last season the Rockets played in six shootout games. This season the Rockets have been involved in nine that required a shootout. The Rockets are 6 and 3 in those nine shootout situations… The Rockets were 8-5-0-0 in 13 games last January. This season they are 8-4-0-0 during the month…Colton Sissons has been named the captain for Team Orr for next Wednesday’s CHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna….The Rockets have two 20+ goal scorers this season. Colton Sissons (25) and Brett Bulmer (20) lead the charge. Last season the team had five 20+ goal scorers… Forward Brett Lyon turned 21 on Monday…Damon Severson returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing 16 games with a hand injury…..Thirteen of Colton Sissons 25 goals have been scored on the road this season…Brett Lyon has 1+2=3 in eight games with the Rockets…Defenceman Myles Bell has 24 points this season. Fifteen of those points have been recorded on the road…Four members of the Kelowna Rockets are rated in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings. Captain Colton Sissons is ranked 14th among North American skaters for this summer’s draft. Teammate Damon Severson is rated 46th, rookie defenceman Cole Martin is ranked 146th and Colton Heffley (191) is also rated. Both Sissons and Severson will participate in the CHL Top Prospects game at Prospera Place at the end of the month…The Rockets were 3-5-0-2 in ten games with head coach Ryan Huska at the World Junior Hockey Championships…In ten of their last twelve wins, the Rockets have given up two or less goals per game…The Rockets are 16-11-1-3 with Brett Bulmer in the line-up….Tyrell Goulbourne leads the team with 13 fighting majors. Mitchell Chapman has nine….The Rockets are 1-9-0-1 when giving up five or more goals…Last season they gave up five or more goals in ten games…The Rockets have been involved in 24 one goal games this season. The Rockets are 12-7-1-4 in those twenty-four games….The Rockets are playing their 1490th regular season game tonight and will hit the 15 hundred mark when they host Red Deer on February 18th…Birthdays. Shane McColgan turned 19 (Jan 1), Austin Ferguson turned 17 on Wednesday (Jan 11th) and Tyrell Goulbourne turned 18 (Jan 26) yesterday…Following this five game home stand, the Rockets play 12 of their final 22 games on the road…Zach Franko has scored in seven consecutive shootout situations. The 18 year-olds only miss came on opening night against Everett…Only Franko and Colton Sissons have played in all 49 regular season games this season.
No comments:
Post a Comment