Tonight’s Preview: The
Kelowna Rockets are back in Vancouver for the second time in a week. The
Rockets were a 4-0 winner at Pacific Coliseum last Friday thanks to a 29 save
performance by Michael Herringer. The Rockets are 5-0-0-0 in the seasonal
series, having out-scored their BC Division rivals 25-10. In the five games,
the Rockets have shut out the G-Men twice. In the last two seasons, the Rockets
are 12-1-0-0 against Vancouver and have earned a point in 15 of their last 18
visits to the ‘Rink on Renfrew’. The Rockets are winless in their last two
games (0-1-1-0) after a 2-1 loss to Calgary last Saturday and a 3-2 overtime
loss Tuesday in Everett. Against the Tips, Tyson Baillie and Leon Draisaitl
scored to give the Rockets a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. The Tips would battle
back with three unanswered goals. The Rockets are 20-6-1-1 since the Christmas
break. Overall, the Rockets have points in 16 of their last 19 games (14-3-1-1).
The team returns to Prospera Place tomorrow night to face the Spokane Chiefs.
100 Points – Again! The Kelowna
Rockets earned their 100th point of the season last Friday in a 4-0
win in Vancouver. It is the third consecutive season the team has earned 100 or
more points. A franchise record 118 points was set last season. The team has
hit the 100 point plateau five times now. They also accomplished the feat in
2013-2014 (118 pts), 2012-2013 (108 pts), 2004-2005 (104 pts) and in 2002-2003
(109 pts).
A Banner season: The Kelowna
Rockets are BC Division regular season champions. It is the 7th time
the Rockets have won title since its inception in 2001-2002. The Rockets have
claimed three consecutive BC Division banners (2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015)
and have also won the title in 2010-2011, 2004-2005, 2003-2004 and 2002-2003.
While the Rockets have won it 7 times, the Vancouver Giants have earned it five
times.
This and That: The
Rockets have lost four times in overtime this season. Of those four losses,
three have come against U.S Division opponents….Tyrell Goulbourne signed an NHL
contract with the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday. Goulbourne is a third round pick
of the Flyers from last summer. Goulbourne is one of five Rockets that have
signed NHL contracts. Madison Bowey (Washington), Rourke Chartier (San Jose),
Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton) and Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg) have all inked deals….Madison
Bowey and Tyson Baillie each played in their 250th career WHL games last
Saturday night….Leon Draisaitl was the team’s top scoring in February.
Draisaitl had 7+13=20. Only Brandon’s Tim McGauley (24 pts) and Portland’s
Oliver Bjorkstrand (21 pts) had more points in February than Draisaitl did.
Tyson Baillie had 5+8=13 in February while Gage Quinney (2+9=11) and Nick
Merkley (1+10=11) were next on that list. The biggest surprise in February was
Riley Stadel (2+8=10), who had as many points as Madison Bowey did (2+8=10)…Of
the Rockets four regulation losses on the road this season, three of them have
come in the second of back to back games….six of the eleven losses this season
have been suffered in the second of back to back games…..Rourke Chartier is 4
goals shy of 50 this season. The last Rockets player to score 50 goals was
Justin Keller during the 2005-2006 season. Keller scored 51 times that
year….Jackson Whistle missed ten games after undergoing appendix surgery on
February 6th. The Rockets were 8-2-0-0 in those games…The Rockets
have been held to just one goal six times this season. Seattle (road), Edmonton
(road), Calgary (twice – once on road and once at home), Regina (home) and
Prince Albert (home) have turned the trick against the highest scoring team in
the Western Conference...The Kelowna Rockets have scored the second most goals
on the road (137) in the WHL this season…The Rockets have lost only four times
in regulation time on the road this season. Those four losses came in Victoria,
Seattle, Tri City and Calgary...The Rockets have points in 12 of their last 14 road
games (10-2-1-1)….The Rockets are 54-10-3-1 on opposition ice in the last two
seasons…The Rockets are again rated this week as the second best team in the
CHL Top 10 rankings…If you missed it, Rockets prospect Cole Lind was second in
Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League scoring this season. Lind, who played this
season with the Saskatoon Contacts, had a league high 45 goals and 79 points,
just 8 fewer than fellow teammate and league leader Garrett Pilon. Lind was a 4th
round pick of Director of Player Personnel Lorne Frey in 2013…Rourke Chartier
has missed three games with an UBI.
Dare to Compare: The Rockets
have a record of 48-11-4-1 this season, good for 101 points. After 64 games
last season the team was 51-9-0-4, which was good for 106 points. The team has
scored 278 goals this season. At the same time last year after 64 games, 279 goals
were scored and 163 goals were given up. This season the team has surrendered 159
goals against.
Hot to Trot: Leon
Draisaitl has a nine game point streak (8+11=19). Driasaitl had a career high 13
game point streak last season as a member of the PA Raiders…Tyson Baillie has
points in 11 of his last 12 games. Baillie has six goals and thirteen assists (6+13=19).…Leon
Draisaitl has twenty-two points (8+14=21) in his last twelve games…Draisaitl
has goals in six straight games…Draisaitl’s goal last Saturday was his 200th
career point.
No comments:
Post a Comment