White is.....Dynamite

Boyko's new, white mask

It's the reason many are attracted to the goaltending position in the first place. It's all about 'the gear'. Sure, the colour coordinated pads and gloves are cool. Being a difference maker is also intriguing, but it's the ability to express yourself with a painted or decaled mask that draws many to the pressure packed position.   

At the NHL level, most goalies keep the same design for the duration of a career. Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens is the odd exception, changing his look on a regular basis. Over the years, junior goalies have taken great pride in fashioning a unique design. Outside of training, it is a focal point in the summer to get together with a mask manufacturer in an effort to drum up a eye popping look. 

When Talyn Boyko was traded to the Kelowna Rockets from the Tri City Americans last month, the 19 year-old heard rumblings that goalies who wear the colours with the angry Ogopogo lake monster on the front, don't express themselves in that way. Nope. No design on the mask. No colours. No funky graphics. Let's call it an unwritten rule. Majority owner and GM Bruce Hamilton wants it that way. With his team, the belief is no one stands out from the rest. An old school philosophy perhaps, but Hamilton writes the checks at the end of the day, so it's his call. You have to respect that. Hamilton's winning track record only cements his position. 

When first traded to Kelowna, Boyko wore his flashy, decal laden mask with a massive white star on the forehead with the words 'Tri-City' on the left side and 'Americans' on the right side. On Friday night though, it was off with the old and in with the new when he exchanged his bold mask for something others would consider bland by comparison. The new head gear is about as plain as it gets. It's white. No colours. No decals outside of the manufacturer - Bauer - in black lettering on the side and on the forehead. 

How has the 'no flash face wear' impacted the New York Rangers prospects play? It's actually improved it. 

Since he put on the white mask in a game against the Spokane Chiefs, Boyko has stopped 71 of 73 shots in back-to-back wins. With that effort while stopping 24 of 26 shots in a 2-1 loss this past Wednesday on the road, it makes you wonder if the newest member of the Rockets has a shot at being named the WHL Goalie of the Week?

That's a .956 save percentage in three straight appearances. 

It's a clear indicator that white is indeed all right, or in Boyko's case - dynamite! 

Winterhawks use prevent defense to foil comeback bid

Jake Lee

• It's the - 'new normal'. How many times have we heard that phrase over the past 20 months during the COVID-19 pandemic? Likely to nauseum. The term has been increasingly used to refer to changes in human behaviour. Add Portland Winterhawks GM/Head Coach Mike Johnston to that list. What we saw Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Coliseum may be the 'new normal' where they don't beat you with the philosophy of first team to 10, but by nailing down wins by defending. What? No! Ya, I couldn't believe it. Fast forward to the third period. The Winterhawks are up 4-2 over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. Having succeeded over the years with skill and speed, the playoff arch rival went into a defensive shell. With the Rockets fighting tooth and nail to get back in the game, Johnston's team played structurally sound defensive hockey. Nope, they didn't try to get the next one. They protected the house and played prevent defense. I thought it was a swear word in Mike Johnston’s vocabulary. Not anymore. As the Rockets forced the issue while down by two, the Winterhawks, to my amazement, clogged up the neutral zone. With the aid of three consecutive power plays, the Rockets attempted to get pucks through to the net. Johnston’s players were selling out by - do I dare say - blocking shots! They looked like the expansion Everett Silvertips from 2003-2004. Ok, this years team is way more skilled than that, but you get my point. The 'new norm' in the Rose City is protecting the lead with team defense and leaning on the goalie. I thought I'd never see the tactic used by Johnston, but as we mentioned off the top - it is indeed the 'new normal'.
• Another slow start in this one. The Rockets were out-shot 20-5 in the opening period with the Winterhawks chasing starter Colby Knights after scoring 4 goals on 16 shots. While Knight was yanked for the third time in his last four starts, head coach Kris Mallette told me on the post game show that his decision to replace him with Talyn Boyko was more out of getting a response from his team rather than being displeased with the 18 year-old's overall play. I need to mention that Boyko was very good in a relief appearance stopping all 22 shots he faced.
• While down 4-2 heading into the third period, optimism was high that the Rockets could rally. Heck, this group has been a resilient bunch all season, so why doubt them now. Getting back in the game was put on a platter with three straight power plays, yet for the first time this season, or so it felt, that unit picked the wrong time to go quiet. While it created some good looks, the Winterhawks and goalie Lochlan Gordon deserve credit for shutting down the road team. Up until Saturday's loss, the Rockets had manufactured a power play goal in 8 of it's last 9 games.
• It was a rare regulation loss. It was the first time the team has come away without a point in 9 straight games. The last regulation loss was a 7-2 setback in Vancouver on October 29th.
• Winning games in the US Division have not come easy. The Rockets are now winless in 7 straight attempts on American soil. The last win in a US Division building was January 5, 2020 with a 7-2 victory in Tri City. The losing goaltender that night for the Americans was current Rocket Talyn Boyko. 
• Was Jake Lee the diamond in a blockbuster deal between the Rockets and the Seattle Thunderbirds during the WHL bantam draft in 2019? At the time, he was clearly a piece in helping the team in an effort to host the 2020 Memorial Cup, but Dillon Hamaliuk was considered the rock star or the coveted player in that deal. Lee was just 18 at the time. Fast forward to 2021 and Lee has been lights out terrific as a 20 year-old defenceman. I am not sure if he has been given the green light to rush the puck and create in the offensive zone, but Lee has been as dominant as I've seen him in creating scoring chances for himself or his teammates. Lee's career high is 30 points. He should easily match and exceed that mark this season. 
• Not only did the Rockets lose the game, but they also lost head coach Kris Mallette and 16 year-old's Caden Price and Andrew Cristall. The three are participating in Hockey Canada's 'Capital City Challenge' which will be held in Ottawa later this week. Mallette will be the head coach for 'Team Red'. Interestingly, one of Mallette's assistant coaches is Carl Mallette (no relation) of the QMJHL's Victorville Tigres. The tournament starts Friday. In Mallette's absence, assistant coaches Josh McNevin and Quinton Laing will handle the coaching duties.
• We are off to Spokane for a game against the Chiefs on Wednesday. Thankfully this should be the last time I get a cotton swab of the back of my throat in order to prove to Canada Customs that I am indeed healthy and don't have COVID-19!! Starting November 30th, fully vaccinated Canadians taking short trips abroad will no longer need proof of a negative COVID-19 test to return home. 

Only in junior hockey

Steel Quiring

• Can a power play, even if you don't score, give a team momentum? Quick answer - yep! I saw it with my own two eyes last night in a miraculous come-from-behind effort by the Kelowna Rockets. While the team fell short, losing 6-5 in a shootout to the Portland Winterhawks, it was a Cross Hanus interference penalty that turned the road teams fortunes around. With the 2nd round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the box, the Rockets started firing pucks at will. Pavel Novak became trigger happy at the left face-off circle. Colton Dach started letting the puck loose off his stick at the right dot and the game shifted despite failing to find the back of the net. Up until that point, the Rockets had one shot on goal through the opening 9 minutes of the second period. The score was 4-1 - Portland. Hanas would come out of the penalty box and score to make it 5-1, but you could see the Rockets had awoken from their slumber. The key was not allowing the home team to get the 6th goal. I said it on the air. If Portland scores the 6th, it's lights out. The game is over. Jake Lee with a sharp angle wrist shot late in the period made it 5-2 and the chances, while slim, were there for a possible comeback. 
• It's really the beauty of junior hockey. Down 5-1 at one point in the game, but still the ability to score 4 unanswered goals to tie it is often unlikely, but in this league it is doable. The Rockets did just that. With the Winterhawks playing on their heels and the Rockets playing on their toes, rookie d-man Caden Price got the party started with a wrister from the blueline. Nolan Flamand fired home a power play goal and the deficit was just one. The clutch goal came with just over 2 minutes left in regulation time when Turner McMillen unselfishly handed the puck off to Steel Quiring, who's quick wrister found the back of the net underneath the blocker of Hawks starter Dante Gianuzzi.
• The Rockets really struggled out of the gates in this one. When they finally showed some life, it seemed like the Hockey God's were angry. Turner McMillen hits the crossbar on an excellently executed two on one and Mark Liwiski hits the goal post on a deflection at the lip of the crease. It looked like it wasn't going to be the Rockets night. Give the team credit for keeping the belief despite so many things going wrong before the third period comeback bid. 
• Overtime was absolutely wonderful. Great scoring chances both ways. With Talyn Boyko chased from the game after allowing 5 goals on 18 shots, Colby Knight came into the game and was absolutely terrific. It looked like the old Colby Knight we witnessed in his Rockets debut after being acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings. The18 year-old carried his strong play after coming off a shutout against Prince George in his last start Saturday night. Knight was so quick down low. His ability to track pucks was terrific and his glove hand was laser quick. 
• If I'm the Rockets, I would have left last night's game feeling pretty good about coming back the way they did. It was a hard earned point in a place where wins for this franchise has been hard to come by over the years. To play that poorly off the start and finish that strong was extremely impressive for a team that wouldn't fold. Heck, they thought they won the game in overtime when the puck, from my location, seemed to glance off the crossbar with time about to expire. The back official called it a goal. The Rockets players exited the bench to celebrate only to find out the goal was under review. Video indeed showed the puck did not enter the net and we were off to a shootout. 
• My real only criticism from last night's game is the starting goaltending. It just has to be better. Even if the team struggles to start a game and seem to be slow to pucks and the bus legs are clearly evident, the starting goalie needs to hold his team in the game. I am not saying all 5 goals were Boyko's fault last night, but again you need to steal a game, or hold the team in the game. Colby Knight must also be held to that same standard. It seems like a common theme this season has the starter struggling, is eventually replaced, and then the team wakes up and preforms to the level they are capable of playing. Knight hasn't allowed a goal in over 90 minutes of action in back-to-back appearances. The shootout goal doesn't count, outside of a SOL in his statistics. The last player to score against Knight was Winterhawks d-man Ryan McLeary back on November 5th.  
• Jake Lee played last night's game with a cage. The 20 year-old had his nose broken against Vancouver a couple of weeks ago and just got it reset. Despite the 'bird cage', Lee again played well and was full marks for his 5th goal of the season. Watch the video as he hold the puck at the right point and is able to do his 'Russell Wilson' imitation with the puck by dodging defenders before eventually losing it and then getting it back for a sharp angle opportunity. No one on the Rockets d-core is as deceptive or shifty as Lee. It is fun to watch. 
• I know Clay Hanus or Jaydon Dureau should be catching my attention, but in two viewings the forward who impresses me the most is James Stefan. Wearing #13, the dude loves to shoot. He is always a threat to score. He had a season high 8 shots on net last night and just seems to be a player that pops for me every time I see him.
• A first time viewing for me of d-man Luca Cagnoni. While only 16, lots of upside with this player. I will take another look tonight to see if I am evaluating him correctly. At first glance, the Winterhawks have a player there.
• I ran into Dan Marr in the scouts room before last night's game. Marr is the Director of Scouting for NHL Central Scouting. Marr is out evaluating, which he always does. As an undrafted player, you always have to be acutely aware that persuasive eyes are indeed watching your performance on any given night.
• Sitting. Ya, sitting. Veterans Memorial Coliseum is the only arena in the WHL where I am forced to sit for the entire game while calling the action. For the record, I don't sit when I broadcast games - ever. I stand about 80 percent of the time. Maybe it's restless leg syndrome or just a nervous tick, but I feel like a caged animal calling a game while sitting in a chair. The sight lines are solid at VMC, so one should keep complaints to a minimum. 
• We are on the air a little early tonight. 'Rockets This Week' begins at 5 pm on AM 1150. It is my first interview with forward Pavel Novak and we discuss leadership with captain Tyson Feist. Talk to you on the radio then!!!

Border bound!

• With the significant flooding in many parts of BC resulting in Highway 1 being impassable, the Kelowna Rockets will take an alternate route in an effort to meet the Portland Winterhawks this weekend in Oregon State. The team will cross at the Osoyoos border rather than heading over the Coquihalla Highway and crossing at Sumas. It means a trip to Kennewick, Washington (near there) before heading west towards Portland on Interstate 84 along the Columbia River. The real concern is getting over the border into the US. The lineups could be lengthy.
• In my last blog posting, I mentioned a few players who have surprised me this season. Of the four, three were overagers. Interesting that all three 20 year-old's were acquired in WHL trades. Tyson Feist was picked up from Regina. Jake Lee was acquired from Seattle while Mark Liwiski was obtained from the Everett Silvertips. Liwiski has played 143 games with the Rockets. Lee 88 regular season games. Feist just 48.
• Tyson Feist isn't fooling himself. While the 20 year-old has a career 5 goals this season, he knows his bread and butter in an effort to play pro is as a shutdown d-man. Feist admitted to me this week that he doesn't mind contributing on the scoreboard though. "Obviously with confidence came more, ‘maybe I will shoot the puck then put it in the corner.’ I have been given the green light to the shoot the puck more and I've taken advantage of it." The pride of Dawson Creek, BC has a younger brother playing in the WHL. In fact, Feist is the only player on the Rockets roster with a sibling playing in the league. Layton Feist suits up for the Regina Pats.
• One rookie forward who hasn't score a goal this season, yet should have more than a couple, is Rilen Kovacevic. The 10th round bantam pick has had some excellent looks in 9 games this season. The dam is about to break for the Kelowna kid, who leads the team in fighting majors with three. Didn’t see that coming. 
• Speaking of the dam breaking, it's coming for 16 year-old Marcus Pacheco. You can tell his confidence level if increasing. He is more aggressive to loose pucks in the corners and is shooting more. Pacheco is trying to make an impact despite playing on the fourth line. The dude can fly. I say open it up and let your speed rule the day. 
• I won't pass judgement on the rookies until after the 25 game mark. Rookie status by the WHL Competition Committee is anyone who has played 25 games or less. That means 11 on the roster are classified as 'first year players'. Not making the list is Steele Quiring and Dylan Wightman. Quiring had played 28 games before this season started. Wightman saw action in 26. 
• Pavel Novak will play for the Czech Republic at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships. He represented his country as an 18 year-old last season. I asked him about playing for his country, again, and who would he prefer to beat, the United States or Canada? "I would like to beat both of them of course. For me, I would rather beat Canada." Love his honesty. My full 11 minute interview with Novak can be heard Saturday at 5 pm on AM 1150's 'Rockets This Week' before the team faces the Portland Winterhawks in the back end of a double dip at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
• I love the way Novak says 'Kelowna Rockets". Listen for it Saturday. With his slight Czech accent, it is magical. He rolls his r's. 
• I love to compare one season to the next. But in this case, with an abbreviated season where the team played only 16 games in April/May, I'm using the 2019-2020 campaign as a measuring stick on how a player has evolved, or in some cases regressed. The competition was harder and the schedule was more daunting two seasons ago. I just can't give much credibility to the abbreviated season where teams played in two centres out here in the BC Division against younger competition. It was a developmental season, which was it's main purpose, but throw in extensive travel against older, more established players, it's way more difficult to play consistent, injury free hockey. 
• Last weekend we were in Prince George. Having not been in the downtown core in over a year, I was amazed at some of the progress. A new Hyatt Place (hotel) opened up during the pandemic and a new family pool is under construction. It opens in the summer of 2022. Impressive. PG has some pretty cool amenities. 
• True confession. I am spending very little time paying a significant amount of time looking at the rosters, or the on-line scores from the Eastern Conference. Out of sight, out of mind. With the Western Conference teams not meeting their Eastern Conference colleagues this season, my interest is waning. I am sure the same applies there. I look at the scores, but my interest in watching the highlites from our conference and maybe seeing the occasional goal posted by the Eastern Conference teams Twitter feed is about as good as it gets. 
• The last time the Rockets played a game in the United States was February 29th in Everett, Washington. The last time the Rockets visited the Hawks in Portland was January 18th and 19th, 2020. 
• The Rockets haven't won a game in Portland since October 30, 2016. It was a 4-2 win with Nick Merkley picking up a goal and an assist while being named the first star. It has been six games since the Rockets have earned a win in Oregon, which is one of five US states that do not collect sales tax. 

Strength in numbers

Tyson Feist 

Truth be told, I like this team. I probably like this team more now then when they opened the season over a month ago in Victoria against the Royals. To be host, my expectations were low. Not bottom of the division low, but I didn't see 8 wins in 12 games to start the season. I likely saw three fewer wins and two more losses in a best case scenario. Why? The team had lost it's best d-man with Kaedan Korczak turning pro. Goaltending was an issue. I was biting my tongue, but 'Captain Obvious' could clearly tell you it needed an upgrade. In trading away Alex Swetlikoff to Everett, the team essential lost two of it's top three scorers from the abbreviated season. At the end of the day, with the deal that sent Trevor Wong to Saskatoon, the top three point producers (Wong/Swetlikoff/David Kope) were erased from the roster. What's clearly evident is others have stepped up and have exceeded expectations. Here is a list of players, while small, who have caught my eye and have played above what I expected so far this season.

1) Tyson Feist. Did I see him as captain material? Honestly....no. Regarded as a very small piece of the puzzle in a trade with Regina in a quest to acquire toughness as the host team of the 2020 Memorial Cup, which was never played, the then 18 year showed he could scrap but his hockey IQ as a solid defender was below average. If the COVID-19 shutdown benefitted one player on the roster, it was Feist. He came back a completely different player in the abbreviated season. Feist started making smart plays with the puck. Occasionally he was scoring. It came out of nowhere. Fast forward to this season, his outgoing personality came through and the respect of his teammates shot up exponentially. After scoring just 5 goals in 122 career WHL games prior to this season, Feist has 5 goals in 12 games this season. How does that happen? Confidence is one. Coaching has to be a factor too. He is still prone to turning over the puck and at times is caught flat footed, but Tyson Feist is my biggest and most pleasant surprise so far in 2021-2022.

2) Tyson Feist just edges out Nolan Flamand as my biggest surprise so far this season. Flamand is a second round WHL bantam pick, so expectations should be high, but I often find smaller, younger forwards have a hard time flourishing at this level. Flamand has been great at the face-off circle and the trust he's garnered from head coach Kris Mallette is remarkable. If the game is on the line in an effort to defend a one goal lead, Flamand is on the ice. If down by a goal, it's most reliable players must be on the ice to tie the score, Flamand is likely jumping over the boards. While I thought the Saskatoon resident was good during the abbreviated season, I didn't see him as being this much of a difference maker this early in his WHL career. Points wise, Flamand has 10 points in 12 games and has points in 5 of his last 7 contests. Flamand leads the Rockets with 6 power play points.

3) Mark Liwiski. In essence, the 20 year-old is the post boy for this years team. Work your tail off, bring your work boots and play a greasy style of hockey. Liwiski likely plays to his strengths the best of any forward on the roster. A rugged forward who loves to hit and punish opponents, he essentially took two Cougar players out of action with thundering body checks in Friday's 5-2 win. 'Louie', as he is known to his teammates, can really skate. He is sneaky fast and has better hands then you'd think. His offensive totals would likely be significantly higher if he had a better ability to finish. He does create scoring chances and is a handful to play against. He reminds me of an annoying brother, who you grow up hating. He must be a terror to play against. Lucky he wears Kelowna Rockets colours. 

4) Jake Lee: Another 20 year-old that should be a difference maker, but often times overage players are playing at this level because they frankly aren't good enough to play pro and are just average in junior despite being the oldest on the ice. Lee has looked the part this season as a veteran. He has been guilty of turning over the puck as the last man back on the power play, which has resulted in a few shorthanded goals, but his deceptive wrist shot from the back end is becoming a real threat. He is shooting the puck more. With 29 shots in 12 games, he is getting pucks through to the net. In 2019-2020, over his opening 12 games, he had only 11 shots on goal. Lee's ability to avoid pressure with the puck is impressive. Either spinning away from checks or being shifty by finding a shooting lane, the former 1st round WHL bantam pick is third in team scoring with 11 points in 12 games and has five power play points as he tries to fill the void left by Kaedan Korczak. 

Ok, enough with the individual accolades. You win as a team. You lose as a team. Here are a few areas of success that I didn't see coming.

• The ability to fight back in the third period to win a game or prevent the opposition from doing the same. The third period has been the teams best. The numbers don't lie. The Rockets have surrendered only 7 - third period goals against. Put your money on the team rallying in the third rather than collapsing and allowing the opposition to fight back to steal a victory.
• The power play. Again, lots of ammunition was lost last season. I anticipated the power play firing blanks, but it has been the difference maker in most games. It is never lights out terrific, nor is it awful. The ability to come up clutch when it's needed most is why the team is in second place in the BC Division.
• Penalties. A lack of them. This has been a problem since Brad Ralph was the head coach. It continued with Jason Smith. It was bad with Adam Foote. The Rockets often unraveled with needless trips to the penalty box. This has been a massive change with Kris Mallette's crew the least penalized team in the WHL. What makes this area of the teams game so impressive is Mallette wants his team to play heavy, which means finishing checks and banging bodies. Learning how to do this, within the constraints of the rule book is often tough to teach, but playing clean, yet hard - in your face hockey - has been fun to watch. The Rockets average just 12.33 minutes in the box per game. 
• Shot volume. It's a metric I pay special attention too. It tells me your commitment level to playing strong- team defense. The Rockets have allowed, on average, the fourth fewest shots per game in the WHL. That's an impressive feat, considering the likes of Winnipeg, Kamloops and Everett are also among the top 4. The Rockets, as a group, don't give up many odd man rushes and both Tayln Boyko and Colby Knight must keep mentally engaged with a lack of rubber coming their way. As I mentioned on the broadcast last night, Boyko faced 20 shots in Friday's 5-2 win, the fewest shots he has faced since he broke into the WHL in 2018-2019. 
• Sorry, I lied when singling out players, or in this case coaches. I think Kris Mallette is a difference maker. I really do. I really believe the players like him and are willing to do what he says. I think his communication skills may be the best I've seen behind the Rockets bench since Dan Lambert. You hear it in his interviews with me. Honest answers. Insightful. Mallette is making some tough decisions with his group, often scratching a player for what I like to call 'indifferent play'. The line in the sand has been drawn early by Mallette, which is refreshing for someone who has less than 50 games as a head coach at the WHL level. 

The caveat. It is just 12 games. In sports, things constantly change. It's as easy to go into a free fall in the standings as it is to go on a heater. Right now, the 2021-2022 edition of the Kelowna Rockets are on a heater with points in 7 straight (6-0-0-1). It is all about playing to your strengths and not playing as individuals. The concept of 'strength in numbers' should resonate with this group. It is the true reason why five weeks into the season they are having this much success.  

Slow starts - strong finishes

• I remember watching the pilot of Seinfeld in 1989. It was slow to start, but with greater character development, week after week, the show got better. It eventually went off the air in 1998 after 180 episodes and 9 seasons. It is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential sitcoms ever on television. Seinfeld sounds a little like the Kelowna Rockets play recently. The team hasn't been very strong at the start, but man, they've shown the ability to get better as the game goes along. In the last four outings, as an example, the team has scored 7-third period goals. They've out-scored the opponent 7-2 in the final frame. The latest third period rally came Saturday night in a 4-1 win over the visiting Prince George Cougars. Nursing a 2-1 second period lead, the Rockets erupted for two-third period goals while earning their 5th win of the season. It was impressive to see the team take the will out of the Cougars by controlling the second half of the game. After a slow start, where the visitors outshot the home team 15-3 in the opening period, the older and wiser Rockets outshot the young and exuberant Cougars 31-19  the rest of the way.
• The power play has been clutch lately. It manufactured a 5 on 3 goal against the Cougars to make the score 4-1. It put the game on ice. Even in Friday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Portland Winterhawks,  while trailing 4-3 with under 5 minutes left in the game, the Rockets found the equalizing goal with the extra man. The Rockets have scored a power play goal in five consecutive games and are 6 for 19 (31.6%) over that span. 
• Another sign the team is getting better as the game goes along is giving up just 64 shots on goal in the third period this season. That's an average of just 7.1 shot against in the final 20 minutes of the game. 
• Jake Lee is off a great start. With two-two goal games to his credit already, the overager is showing why the Seattle Thunderbirds picked him in the opening round of the WHL bantam draft. Lee is using a seeing eye wrist shot to do most of his damage and is getting the benefit of being on the power play. 

• 

  John Babcock engages in his first WHL tilt

  While we are focusing on the blueline, rookie John Babcock's play is rounding into form. The 17 year-old got into a scrap Saturday to defend a teammate and chipped in with two assists. The 5th round WHL bantam pick from 2019 is riding a four game point streak with 6 assists. 
• Tyson Feist may have had the prettiest goal of the game Saturday night. On a two-on-one, he was able to bat a puck out of mid-air, while on the backhand, on a saucer pass from teammate Dylan Wightman. The third period goal gave the Rockets a 3-1 lead. It was the d-man's third goal of the season, setting a new career high for a player that is showing that he can do as much damage with his gloves on as with his gloves off. 
• It was Cole Tisdale's best outing of the season. The 19 year-old was sharp when called upon in making only his second start of the season. Who would have thought the day after he would be traded to the Tri City Americans.
• Speaking of the trade, in an effort to upgrade the most crucial position on the ice, the team acquired 19 year-old Talyn Boyko from the Tri City Americans for Tisdale and a third round bantam pick. This takes a lot of pressure off of 18 year-old Colby Knight, who has struggled in his last three starts. That said, Knight will find his footing and will be a good number one goalie down the road. You don't throw the baby out with the bath water. For now though, Boyko is clearly the go-to-guy and will get the bulk of the starts with his 6'7 frame being an intimidating presence for opposition shooters. Boyko is a 4th round NHL draft pick of the New York Rangers but his career numbers won't impress you. Boyko was part of an Americans team that won just 17 games in 2019-2020 and earned 34 victories the year prior.  
• The Rockets begins a real tough stretch of games. While five of the next six are on the road, it includes a date with Kamloops on Wednesday followed by road dates in Prince George (double header), Portland (double header) and a stop in Spokane. That is 6 games in 15 days with lots of travel thrown into the mix. It is a big series of games for the Rockets to see if they are indeed the real deal.

Fire wagon hockey

• We likely blame head coaches too much when they lose and give them far too much credit when they win. That said, you can't ignore the strings Kelowna Rockets head coach Kris Mallette has pulled in order to get the best from his players. The latest example came Wednesday night against the visiting Vancouver Giants. Mallette had to make the tough decision to tell 16 year-old Andrew Cristall that he can be better. That also meant sitting the marquee forward for a game to get his point across. Fast forward four night's later and Cristall is back in the lineup, but penciled on the teams fourth line. Instead of moping, Cristall assists on two goals and then goes out and scores the winner in overtime in a 7-6 victory. Cristall answered the bell. The end result looks great on not only the player but the coach for making the hard decision to sit a player if he under preforms. It tells me that Mallette isn't hesitant on making a tough decision and the players, or in this case Cristall, is buying in to what Mallette is preaching.
• Thank goodness Cristall had no other option but to shoot the puck on the game winning goal. It was the only shot he took all night. One shot - one goal. A pass first player, I'd like him to be more trigger happy. It will come. It will come. In the last four games, Cristall has just 4 shots on net.
• Mallette was all smiles after last night's game. Did he like the 7-6 score? He liked the end result but again, far too many goals scored for the opposition for his liking. Giants head coach Mike Dyck, who rarely smiles, wouldn't have been happy with the high flying affair either. It marked the first time since November 8, 2019 that the Rockets and an opponent put up 13 goals. The Medicine Hat Tigers came into Prospera Place and earned a 8-5 win. 

  

  Jake Lee 

• One area Mallette has vowed to work on is his team taking dumb penalties. So far, so good. The Rockets average the third fewest trips to the penalty box. Only Saskatoon and Victoria are better.  The Royals are the least penalized. Not bad for a team that, up until this point, doesn't have the puck often.
• It was a first for Jake Lee. The 20 year-old found the back of the net twice. His biggest goal was the one that came on the power play with :39 seconds remaining in regulation time to tie the score at 6. Give credit to Gabriel Szturc for getting into the eye-line of Giants goalie Jesper Vickman, which made the goal possible. Without that screen, my bet is that puck doesn't go in. Small details make a massive difference. 
• With Lee scoring twice last night, it made me wonder when the last time a Rockets d-man scored three goals in a game. The last one to do it was not on my radar. Devante Stephens scored three times against the Portland Winterhawks October 29/2016 in a 5-3 victory. I would have put my money on Cal Foote, but he never found the back of the net three times in one game. 
• Watch the highlites of last night's game. Check out how Turner McMillen is able to thread the needle on a perfect pass to captain Tyson Feist to make it 3-1. McMillen has to pass the puck to Feist from the far boards to the 20 year-old at the far, right face-off circle. In the path is a broken stick on the ice. McMillen has to pass the puck through a small window to hit Feist's blade. It's a pretty spectacular pass. 
• Fair to say a rough night for Kelowna Rockets starter Colby Knight. The 18 year-old was yanked after giving up 4 goals on 7 shots. Cole Tisdale came into the game and was steady enough to earn the win. Picking up a teammate. Tisdale did it wonderfully in a relief appearance.
• The Rockets won for the first time after trailing 5-4 after 40 minutes. Up until that point, the Rockets were 0 and 3 when trailing after 2 periods. The Giants were 4-0 when having the lead.
• Fighting. Does it have a purpose? It is hard to argue that it doesn't after a tilt between Tyson Feist and Giants pest Justin Lies. Lies did a bit of show boating last Friday after a tilt with Rockets rookie Rilen Kovacevic. You couldn't help but notice Lies putting his arms in the air and gesturing to the hometown crowd as he skated off the ice. Well, Fiest took a number that night. Fast forward to last night where Feist engages in a scrap with Lies and dominates. It was a beat down as Lies elected to scrap with a player who wasn't afraid to step up for a teammate. Props to Feist for laying a beatdown and providing another reason why he was the right choice to be named captain. I don't like senseless fighting. I thought this was an awfully good reason to engage in fisticuffs. 
• Noland Flamand had a 4 assist game. He received high praise from his head coach after the game as one of the most trusted forwards on his roster.
  As Kris Mallette would say, 'he plays the right way'. Two seasons ago, Pavel Novak had a 4 assist game against the Tri City Americans.
• Shoot the puck. The Rockets have fired a combined 82 shots at the opposition net in the last two games. That is 42 against Victoria and 40 shots against the Giants.  
• The Rockets are undefeated on home ice. 3-0-0-0 is a nice start heading into back-to-back home games this weekend against Portland (Friday) and Prince George (Saturday). 

'Cookie' calls it a career

• Being a head coach isn't an easy occupation. Every level has its degree of difficulty. Kris Mallette has had to make some hard decisions in the early stages of the young season. The best example came Saturday night when the Kelowna Rockets veteran d-men were struggling. Mallette had to make an in-game adjustment, electing to sit a few veterans who were making bad decisions and fighting the puck. Bold decision, but it worked out. Mallette puts 16 year-old rookie d-man Caden Price on the ice in overtime. The second round WHL bantam pick assists on the game winning goal from Jake Poole in a 5-4 OTW against Victoria.
  
• Are the Portland Winterhawks the WHL guinea pig? The Winterhawks are the first WHL team to attempt to cross the border between Canada and the US tomorrow. How smooth will it go? Will the Winterhawks have to be tested before entering Canada? What will it cost for everyone to take a test despite the entire team being double vaccinated? Every WHL ownerships group will be watching with keen interest. My understanding is despite being double vaxed, every player and coach on the bus must have taken a molecular test in the United States within 72 hours of entering Canada.  The Winterhawks play the Kamloops Blazers Wednesday night before meeting the Rockets at Prospera Place on Friday. The last American based team to cross into Canada are the Seattle Thunderbirds, who play December 10th in Kamloops. 

  

  Jordon Cooke

• He was one of my favourite Kelowna Rockets goalies. Jordon Cooke was arguably the best the franchise have ever selected in the WHL bantam draft. Chosen in the fourth round in 2008, the Leduc product was part of a powerhouse teams from 2012-2014. Sadly, the Portland Winterhawks were just that much better. Cooke has decided to retire at age 28. Cooke most recently played in Erste Liga, in Romania and Hungry last season. How good was Cooke? He is the only Rockets goalie to be named the CHL Goalie of the Year and twice the U-Sports Goalie of the Year with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. 
• Pavel Novak has 5 goals against the Victoria Royals this season. He had two goals opening night and three against them Saturday in the 5-4 overtime win. Two seasons ago, Novak had 6 against the Prince George Cougars, who provide the opposition on Saturday. 
• It looks like Travis Crickard is back in major junior hockey. Word out East is 'Cricks' has joined the coaching staff of the Saint John SeaDogs. Crickard was a member of Dan Lambert's coaching staff when the team won the 2015 WHL title. He was eventually relieved of his duties by then head coach Adam Foote 16 days before Christmas in 2018. 
• I ran into NHL scout Marty Stein twice over the past two weeks. Once in Vancouver and once in Kelowna. It wasn't until I noticed a change in logo on Stein's binder that I had to ask the question. Have you changed teams? Stein, who calls Coldstream home, has been scouting for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 years. He helped them win four Stanley Cups and a couple of Calder Cup titles. With his contract not renewed at the end of last season, Stein is now scouting for the Buffalo Sabres. 
• Bob Tory has hit the jackpot. The GM of the Tri City Americans received good news when 20 year-old Sasha Mutala was sent back to his team after starting the season in pro. While Mutala is a big boost for Tory's team offensively, you would have to think other GM's across the league will give Bob a call and ask if he is interested in making a trade. 
• Dan Price is forever the optimist. The Victoria Royals GM and HC isn't making excuses for his teams 1-10-1-0 start, but it would be easy to push the panic button with the injuries they've sustained. Often playing a few players short, once healthy, he will have a better idea of how good or bad his team really is. The fans in Victoria are antsy though. Check out the Royals Facebook page where fans are calling this team as bad as the 1989 Victoria Cougars who won 5 of 72 games or want Price fired.  Fact is, was no one paying attention to what happened in the abbreviated season when the Royals won just 3 of 22 games?  
• I heard the Seattle Kraken are playing 15 back-to-back games this season. In the WHL it's a completely different world. The Kelowna Rockets play back-to-backs 29 times. 
• Duncan Keith played his 1200 game in the NHL. The former Kelowna Rockets defender has played the most of any alumni. Scott Hannan comes close with 1,055 games. Shea Weber had 1,033 career games under his belt before he was hurt. Luke Schenn is exactly 200 games shy of 1,000.
• And then their was 1. Just one team in the WHL remains undefeated. The Everett Silvertips hold that honour. The Winnipeg Ice had an 11 game winning streak to start the season snapped in a loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings. No egg on the face of the Ice for losing to a very good Oil King team. They weren't going to go 68-0-0-0. It best to lose to one of the best in the WHL than lay an egg and fall victim to a bottom feeder.