Rockets game notes vs. Cougars

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play game three of four straight on the road when they face the Prince George Cougars. Following tonight’s game the two teams will do it all over again tomorrow night at CN Centre. The Rockets return home to face the Red Deer Rebels Wednesday night before hosting the Cougars one week from tonight at Prospera Place. This is the second of eight meetings between the Rockets and Cougars. The Rockets are 1-0-0-0 after a 3-2 win back on October 19^th. These two teams will play in each other three times in the next week. Last season the Rockets were 3-1-0-0 in Prince George. The Rockets are coming off back-to-back wins over the Victoria Royals last weekend. 

Cook'n in the Kitchen: Jordon Cooke is the Vaughn Goaltender of the Week. Cooke was 2-0-0-0 and posted a goals against average of 0.96 and a save percentage of .968. Cooke stopped 61 of 63 shots in back-to-back wins in Victoria.   

This and That: Myles Bell has nine points (6+3=9) in eleven games this season. Last season he had 19 points (8+11=19) in eleven games…Zach Franko’s goal last Friday was his first in eight games…The Rockets have scored 52 goals after thirteen games this season. Last season the Rockets scored 48 goals after thirteen games. That is 4 more goals scored than at this point last season….The Rockets have allowed 32 goals against after thirteen games this season. Last season the Rockets allowed 40 goals after thirteen games, or seven more goals than this season….Sixteen year-old rookie forward Nick Merkley was named the CHL and WHL Player of the Week from September 30^th to October 6^th. Merkley had six points in three games last week including back-to-back two goal games before earning two assists in a 6-3 win over the Portland Winterhawks. Merkley was the Kelowna Rockets first round pick from the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…Assistant Coach Dan Lambert has been named the head coach for Team West for the World Under 17 Challenge in Cape Breton Nova Scotia December 28-January 5^th….. Jordon Cooke is 28-3-0-2 at home in last 33 starts at home dating back to last season…The Rockets first round pick from this summer’s WHL bantam draft has been named to Team Alberta for the upcoming Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup this weekend in Calgary. Dube, who was born in Cochrane, Alberta, will represent his province at the tournament October 31^st to November 3^rd. The Rockets have no less than four prospects participating at the Under 16 Challenge. Madison Bowey’s younger brother Connor is playing for Team Manitoba while prospects Jordan Borstmayer (3^rd round) and Kole Lind (4^th round) are playing for Team Saskatchewan…The Rockets have out-shot the opposition in eight of the twelve games…Tyson Baillie turns 18 on November 16^th….The Rockets were 7-4-0-1 in 12 games in October last season. This season they were 7-2-0-1 in 10 games…   

Who’s Hot: The Rockets have allowed two power play goals against in their last nine games. That translates into two goals against in their last 38 kills…Riley Stadel has 7+5=12 points so far this season. Last year as a WHL rookie, Stadel had 11 points through 49 games…Zach Franko has points in ten of his first thirteen games. Franko has 3+10=13 over that period…Tyrell Goulbourne has eight points in his last ten games…Nick Merkley has seven points in his last six games…Madison Bowey has 3+5=8 in his last nine games…Tyson Baillie has goals in four of his last seven games…Ryan Olsen has 3+8=11 in his last eight games and is riding a five game point streak.