Rockets game notes vs. Chiefs

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play their 45^th game of the season tonight against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. This is the second of four meetings between these two teams this season. The Rockets are 0-1-0-0 after a 6-4 loss to the Chiefs back on October 10^th. The two teams close out the seasonal series with a game in Spokane Friday before meeting again February 6^th at the Spokane Arena. The Rockets look for their 15^th win in their last 17 games (14-2-1-0). The Rockets have five regulation losses in their last 34 games (27-5-1-1) with setbacks to Tri City (twice), Edmonton, Seattle and Calgary. The Rockets have won 24 of their last twenty-eight (23-4-1-0) games overall. The Rockets enter tonight’s game riding a 17 game home ice winning streak. The only two teams to beat the Rockets on home ice this season are Kamloops and Spokane. The Rockets play 14 games in January, with 8 of those on home ice. Overall, the Rockets have points in nine straight games (8-0-1-0), having out-scored the opposition 49-23. The team’s power play over that stretch is running at 31% (12 for 39).  Following tonight’s game the Rockets are in Spokane Friday night before hosting Vancouver Saturday.  Five of the Rockets 10 losses this season have been against US based teams.        

This and That: The Rockets 31 wins this season equals their win total from all of last season….Five of the Rockets 10 losses this season have been decided by a single goal… Jordon Cooke has been named the WHL Goaltender of the Month for December. Cooke was 6-0-0-0 and posted a goals against average of 2.00. Cooke has won his last 15 games. No Kelowna Rockets goaltender has ever won 15 straight games. Kelly Guard won 10 straight games – four different times between 2002 and 2004….The Rockets entered the CHL Top 10 rankings last week at number 5….Damon Severson has 3+18=21 in his last 15 games. Severson had just 11 points through his first 28 regular season games…Since a 3-0 win over the Kamloops Blazers November 1^st the Rockets are 22-4-1-0….The Rockets are 31-10-2-1 after 44 games this season.…Madison Bowey is taking part in the CHL-NHL Top Prospects game tonight in Halifax.  Last season two members of the organization participated in the game. Damon Severson and Colton Sissons showcased their skills and were both 2^nd round draft picks this summer by New Jersey and Nashville…The Rockets 17 game home ice winning streak is 1 win shy of the 18 straight wins in 2002-2003 season…The Tacoma Rockets won 24 straight home games….Dylen McKinlay is  the only Rocket to play in every game this season…The Rockets have led going into the third period in 28 of their last 35 games with two games being tied heading into the final frame.…The Rockets have allowed 18 power play goals against in their last twenty-nine games….The Rockets have 29 power play goal in their last 35 games (29 for 118 over that span – 25 %)…..In the Rockets 31 wins, Myles Bell as earned 50 points (22+28=50). Of the 158 goals scored by the team in those 31 games, Bell has been in on 50 of them …The Rockets have scored 167 goals in their last 36 games (average 4.64)....Ryan Huska recorded his 200^th WHL regular season victory November 24^th against the visiting Saskatoon Blades…The Rockets are 18 and 2 after 20 home games this season…Madison Bowey (22), Mitch Wheaton (63) and Myles Bell (87) are rated among the top players by NHL Central Scouting for June’s draft. The mid-season rankings were released by NHLCS on Tuesday. Jackson Whistle is rated (26) among North American goalies…The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 100-38 on home ice this season…The Rockets have scored the second most goals in the WHL (191)….Zach Franko has twelve more points (510) than the 39 he put up all of last season. Franko had a career high 53 points (22+31=53) in his rookie season in 2010-2011...J.T Barnett has 8+6=14 in 22 games with the Rockets…Colton Sissons has goals in four of his last seven games….Dylen McKinlay has three shorthanded goals….Since relocating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-96 season, the Rockets have picked up 658 wins over the last 18 seasons…Since entering the WHL in 1991, the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets have scored 4 thousand 521 goals (4,521)…Zach Franko has 51 points this season. Twenty-eight (28) have been registered on the road with 23 coming on home ice…Jordon Cooke’s 22 wins is two shy of the league lead…The Rockets have participated in one shootout game this season. Only Portland has played in fewer (zero). Last season the Rockets were involved in a league high 15…The Rockets and Edmonton Oil Kings (18) have the most wins on home ice in the WHL this season…Riley Stadel turns 17 today.     

Focusing on Myles Bell: Myles Bell (27) is two shy of the league lead in goals…Bell has just four of his 27 goals on the power play this season. Of Bell’s 60 points, only 18 have been collected on the power play…Five of Bell’s six-two goal games have been registered at Prospera Place…Of Bell’s 27 goals, 14 have been scored on home ice…Bell has 60 points. Thirty-three (33) of those 60 have been registered on the road.               

 

Who’s Hot: Myles Bell has 9+6=15 in his last eleven games…Colton Sissons has points in 12 of his last 13 games.  Sissons has 6+9=15 over that stretch… Ryan Olsen has 4+12=16 in his last thirteen games… Zach Franko has 7+17=24 in his last sixteen games…..Damon Severson has points in twelve of his last fifteen games (3+18=21.)…Since returning from injury December 27^th, MacKenzie Johnston is a +13 in his last nine games.