Friday, January 25, 2013

Move over Jamie Benn, you've got company

  • Jamie Benn move over. The Dallas Stars sharp shooter now has some company when it comes to Kelowna Rockets players that have recorded hat tricks in back-to-back games. Benn did it back in the 2008-2009 season and 18 year-old Carter Rigby did it Thursday night in a 8-0 win over Seattle. Rigby scored three times and added two assists for a five point night. Rigby had a hat trick last Saturday in a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Giants. Rigby now has three-three goal games this season. The last Rockets player to do that was Geordie Wudrick, who managed the feat in 2010-2011. The win, the Rockets 20th consecutive on home ice, moved them 6 points up on Kamloops in the fight for first place in the BC Division and within four points of Portland for first place in the overall WHL standings.       
  • Rigby, Benn and Brett McLean are the only Kelowna Rockets to record hat tricks in back-to-back games. Nope, Justin Keller, Jason Deleurme and Jesse Schultz were able to accomplish the feat and all three of them found the back of the net with regularity.     
  • The line of Carter Rigby, Colton Heffley and J.T Barnett were the story in the teams 35th win of the season. Those three combined for 13 points. Heffley had a goal and three assists while Barnett had four assists and a fight. It was Heffley's first four point game of his WHL career. Barnett hasn't recorded four points in his 4 seasons with Kelowna, Everett, Kamloops and Vancouver.
  • Jordon Cooke made 18 saves for his 4th shutout of the season. That is one off the league lead. Cooke is now tied for the WHL lead in wins (26).
  • How about Tyrell Goulbourne's fight with T-Birds d-man Jesse Forsberg? That is as quick and dominant a fight as you will see. Three punches and done.
  • I had a lot of people commenting to me about Goulbourne's speed. Over the last two games specifically, Goulbourne has shown off his tremendous acceleration while killing off a penalty. Coach Huska wasn't joking when he suggested last week that Goulbourne could be the fastest skater on the team without the puck. Do you think NHL scouts are intrigued? Yepper.
  • Seems odd doesn't it. The Rockets win 8-0 and Zach Franko and Ryan Olsen don't find the score sheet. Myles Bell had a quiet night with one assist. 
  • The strangest part of the evening came as the two teams traveled back to Kent for tonight's rematch at ShoWare Center. Both buses arrived at the Sumas border crossing at 2 am in the morning with players, coaches and broadcasters looking blurry eyed after the battle five hours prior. No words were spoken, but odd stares were shared as the two teams waited in a small holding room while border guards checked out the team buses and allowed them to go along their way.
  • We are back on the air with the rematch tonight on AM 1150. We have the pre-game show at 7 and the play-by-play at 7:30.

1 comment:

Gord McGarva said...

I wonder what would have happened if the Victoria Cougars and the New Westminster Bruins met like that in the late to mid-70's.