Rockets games notes vs. Seattle

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds are meeting for the fourth and final time this season. The Rockets are 2-1-0-0 against Seattle, having out-scored the T-Birds 14-7. The Rockets are coming off back-to-back wins over Victoria last weekend out-scoring the Royals 15-5.  The Rockets are 21-5-2-0 in their last 28 games. The Rockets have ten regulation losses in their last 52 games (39-10-2-1). The Rockets have won 36 of their last 46 (34-9-3-0) games overall. Following tonight’s game the Rockets host Lethbridge Saturday before traveling to Kamloops (6 PM) to face the Blazers on Sunday.

Seasonal Series vs. Seattle:

Period:        1    2    3   OT   Final    
Rockets:     3    6    4    1      14  
T-Birds:       3   2    2     0      7

*The Rockets have out-shot the T-Birds in two of the three games. The Rockets average 35 shots on goal in the three games while Seattle has averaged 26 shots on net in the seasonal series. The Rockets are 0 for 9 on the power play while the T-Birds are 2 for 11 with the man advantage in the three games.  Jackson Whistle has played in two of the three games.      

Nine Games to Go: The Rockets have nine games left in the regular season. Six of those nine games are on home ice to conclude the regular season. The Rockets sit five points up on the Kamloops Blazers for first place in the BC Division.  Of those nine games, three are against Kamloops with two against the Vancouver Giants. Single games are against Seattle, Lethbridge, Victoria and Prince George.

Home Cook’n: The Rockets have lost a league low five times on home ice (25-5-0-0) this season. The team has scored 144 goals (4.8 per game) and has allowed 61 goals against (2.00 per game).  The Rockets have scored at least 3 or more goals in every home game this season except three, with losses to Kamloops (3-1), Portland (5-1) and to the visiting Blazers (3-2). The Rockets have scored four or more goals in 21 of their 30 home games. Jordon Cooke and Jackson Whistle have combined for six home ice shutouts this season. The team has allowed two or fewer goals at home this season in 20 of 30 games.

This and That: Cody Fowlie plays in his 200^th career game tonight…The Rockets end off the month of February tonight with a game against the T-Birds. The Rockets are 6-5-0-0 in 11 games. Those five losses have come in the last 9 games….The Rockets have scored 273 goals this season. The team record for goals in a season is 311 set back in the 2002-2003 season. The team needs to average 4.2 goals per game in their final nine regular season games to tie that record. The Rockets average 4.3 goals per game….Rockets Myles Bell has 84 points, becoming the first Rockets player since Colin Long (91) in 2008-2009 to register 80 or more points in a season. ….The Rockets have hit the 40 win plateau for the 9^th time in franchise history…The Rockets have made the playoffs for the 17^th time in the franchises 18 year history….The Rockets are rated as the 5^th best team in the country according to this week’s CHL Top 10 rankings. Last week the Rockets were rated 6^th….Ryan Huska and the Kamloops Blazers are being inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame. The Blazers teams – 1993-94 and 1994-95 - will be inducted during a ceremony in Penticton in July…The Rockets have 3 road games left in the regular season with all 3 against BC Division teams…Jordon Cooke was named the WHL Goaltender of the Month for December. Cooke was 6-0-0-0 and posted a goals against average of 2.00….The Rockets 23 game home ice winning streak was the third longest winning streak on home ice in WHL history. It was snapped February 8th in a 5-3 loss to Portland….Dylen McKinlay is the only Rocket to play in every game this season…The Rockets have led going into the third period in 41 of their last 54 games with two games being tied heading into the final frame.…The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 144-61 on home ice this season….Dylen McKinlay has five shorthanded goals…Since relocating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-96 season, the Rockets have picked up 671 wins over the last 18 seasons…Since entering the WHL in 1991, the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets have scored 4 thousand 603 goals (4,603)…The Rockets have participated in one shootout game this season. That is a league low. Last season the Rockets were involved in a league high 15…Dylen McKinlay leads the team in plus/minus with a +47. It is the highest +/- total for a Kelowna Rockets player. Jesse Schultz was +40 in 2002-2003…Since November 1^st the Rockets have lost eight times in regulation…Five of the teams thirteen regulation losses came in the first five weeks of the season…JT Barnett played in his 250^th career game February 8^th against Portland…Tyrell Goulbourne has 19 fighting majors this season…Damon Severson is four points shy of 100 for his career…Zach Franko played in his 200th career game February 14^th against Everett.….Ryan Olsen is the first 18 year-old forward since Jamie Benn to score over 30 goals in a Rockets uniform. Benn scored 33 times in 2007-2008…Dylen McKinlay has 21 goals, none on the power play.

Who’s Hot: Ryan Olsen has 4 goals in his last six games…J.T Barnett has 4 goals in his last eight games…Myles Bell has a six game point streak (3+9=12)… Colton Sissons has five goals in his last eight games….Sissons has points in 30 of his last 33 games….Carter Rigby has 7+3=10 in last six games… Cody Fowlie has 3+2=5 in his last two games…Jackson Whistle has goals against average of 1.67 in four appearances this month. Whistle has won his last four starts.