Rockets lose for only third time

Photo by Marissa Baecker - Shoot the Breeze

• The Kelowna Rockets nine game winning streak started October 25th against the Victoria Royals in a 4-1 win and oddly enough ended against them in a 4-1 loss. Wednesday night at Prospera Place, the Royals scored three-third period goals on their way to their fifth straight win on the road. The loss was the Rockets first in ten games.  The Rockets limited the Royals to just eight shots over 40 minutes before surrendering 11 in the final period.
• In the early stages of the game it looked like the Royals, not the Rockets had played the night before in Seattle and arrived in Kelowna just after 6 am in the morning.  Victoria generated little in the way of offense yet opened the scoring on a Tyler Soy goal that veteran goaltender Jordon Cooke would normally stop.
• The Royals will believe the third period was the turning point, but the second period was where the Rockets game fell flat. Awarded a 5 on 3 when the game was tied at one, the Rockets had very few good looks, and when they did the majority of the shots missed the net. The timing or execution was off with many of the point shots by the defenceman going wide. Despite generating 15 shots in the period, second chances on Patrik Polivka, who was strong in the Victoria net, were few and far between. In fact, I can’t remember one multiple save Polivka had to make in the period.   
• The Royals scored the game winner on an ugly goal where a centering feed went off the skate of Austin Carroll and past Cooke. It was just another example of the type of night it was for the Rockets, who weren’t sharp in several aspects of their game. To be honest, I didn’t think the Royals were lights out either. The visitor’s top scorers, particularly Logan Nelson, had a very quiet game.  Tyler Soy was the Royals best forward and as mentioned, Polivka out dueled Cooke in goal. 
• It was Jordon Cooke’s first regulation loss at home in 19 starts dating back to last season. Cooke is 16-1-0-2 over that stretch.
• Jesse Lees returned to the line up after missing 11 games with a broken thumb.  
• The Rockets have surrendered four power play goals in their last two games.