Heated rivalry getting hotter

Photo credit - Allen Douglas

While not mathematically eliminated from catching the Kamloops Blazers for first place in the BC Division, the Kelowna Rockets took another step backwards this weekend. After playing well and likely deserving a better fate in a 3-2 shootout loss Friday night at Prospera Place, the Blazers used a Dylan Garand 33 save shutout performance one night later in a 4-0 win. It was the second time this season the team has been shut out on the road, losing 2-0 in Vancouver way back in October.

The Rockets now sit 14 points back of the Blazers with time ticking down. While holding three games in hand, the focus should be on securing home ice advantage in what appears to be a guaranteed date with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the opening round of the WHL playoffs. It’s more realistic and attainable to set your sights on Seattle with 12 games left in the regular season. While still able to catch Kamloops for first, lots would have to go right and much would have to go wrong for the Blazers.

Saturday’s fourth consecutive loss (0-2-0-2) didn’t lack emotion. It featured three fights and the coaches jawing at one another late in the game. One side will say the Rockets are poor sports for physical aggression late in the game while some may question Blazers leading scorer Logan Stankoven pointing at the score-clock or teammate Reese Belton doing a fly-by at the Rockets bench essentially waving goodbye with his glove hand. Gamesmanship? Sure. Depends which side your on. Good old fashioned hockey? Again, depends where your allegiances lie. One thing is clear, playing a home and home series on consecutive weekends against an arch geographical rival will stir up emotion. 

• Much will be made about the yelling match between Rockets head coach Kris Mallette and Blazers assistant Chris Murray. After watching it again on video, was it really that big of a deal? We don't see it often, nor should we, but it's not like it doesn't happen in the heat of the battle. The two coaches never left the positions they were basically standing in all night long. Neither coach positioned himself closer to the glass that separates the two benches to give the other an extra ear full. Had one grabbed the glass and started shaking it like a maniac or jumped down from the bench and literally got his grill in the face of the other, well then we would have something to talk about. I've seen way more animation. Need proof?
• The Blazers are good, but we knew that. We knew that Dylan Garand is very good. He proved that again this weekend. I'd suggest the 19 year-old was one of the main reasons why the Blazers skated away with two wins on the weekend. Heck, he was the third star in a 3-2 shootout win and then received second star honours in a 4-0 victory. I'd say he is the best Blazers goalie I've ever seen in my 22 years in the Western Conference with the best supporting cast in front of him. 
• I thought Tayln Boyko had a really good weekend. The 19 year-old was real sharp Friday night when he allowed just one goal in the shootout. He also had to stop Logan Stankoven on a penalty shot Saturday night in an effort to give his team a chance. Goaltending with the Kelowna Rockets is not a problem. Goaltending is clearly a strength. 
• The difference between winning and losing this weekend wasn't penalties. The Rockets took eight, but so did the Blazers. The difference maker was the power play. While the Blazers score one more goal with the man advantage (2 for 8 while the Rockets were 1 for 8 on the weekend), the Rockets also surrendered a shorthanded goal. While the Blazers power play didn’t manufacture many goals, it did provide momentum and territorial play. That counts for something even if it doesn’t help you on the score-sheet. I found the Rockets power play often struggled and wasn’t a constant threat, something the Blazers five man unit often was.
• While the Rockets have lost the last five meetings between the two teams, take note that they’ve been more than a formidable foe against a team (Blazers) everyone expected to be elite this season. In fact, the Rockets have lost just three times in regulation in the 12 games played head-to-head. Three!! The Rockets have earned 16 points in the seasonal series while the Blazers have earned 11. Six of the games (50% of them) have been decided by one goal.
• What’s next? After a steady diet at the Blazers buffet table, the Rockets get reacquainted with the Victoria Royals Tuesday and Wednesday against a team that may be dead last in the BC Division, but sit in one of the two final playoff spots in the Western Conference. While it looks like the Rockets are going down a weight class after taking on a heavy weight (Blazers) in four consecutive games, if they let down their guard even a smidgen, they will be leaving the Island riding the longest losing streak of the season and two weekend games against the Blazers in many respects will be inconsequential.

Rockets in good spot in final 5 weeks of season

It's a gut feeling. It's something that coaches don't like to do. Pulling your starting goalie is never the preferred option, but reading the situation correctly can do wonders in an effort to win a game. Kris Mallette was reluctant to do it Sunday afternoon when rookie goalie Jari Kykkanen surrendered three goals on 11 shots in the first period. Not wanting to put the blame on the shoulders of his back-stopper, Mallette made the difficult choice of replacing him with number one goalie Talyn Boyko. The move paid off. Boyko provided a mental spark, made a handful of solid saves and his teammates did a better job of defending in a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Giants. On the post game show, Mallette wanted to make it perfectly clear that the change in goal was more made out of necessity to spur his team on to defend better. Whatever you may think about the change in goal, the astute move helped the Rockets win a game they needed if they have any hope of catching Kamloops for first place in the BC Division. You really needed to win these games with the Blazers idle. It was the teams 34th victory of the season and moved them within 8 points with 16 games left in the regular season. The Blazers have 13 remaining. 

• A road game and a veteran needs to step up. Who is the Kelowna Rockets road warrior? Mark Liwiski is the answer. 'Lewy' was clutch, not once, but twice in Sunday's one goal win. Liwiski scores a shorthanded penalty shot goal, showing ice in his veins and then pots the game winner by showing off his spectacular speed by outracing Giants d-man Connor Hornung to a loose puck and beating the goaltender with a nifty backhand. Liwiski has 20 goals. Impressive considering it is the second most goals on the team. Only Pavel Novak (24) has more. What is more impressive is of the 20 goals Liwiski has scored this season, 13 have come on the road. 
• Should we be surprised with Liwiski's ability to find the back of the net? Not really. He did lead the team in goals with 9 in 16 games during the abbreviated season. I'd argue that was against lesser competition. Not this season though. Liwiski got off to a slow start with three goals in his opening 16 games. In his last 20, the pain in the derriere forward has 11 goals. Not bad for a player who has also been suspended for four games this season. 
• How fun would it be to have a race featuring Liwiski and rookies Marcus Pacheco and Rilen Kovacevic? All three are speed demons and are quick to pucks. In a straight line, that trio can scoot. It would be fun to do two races. One with the puck, the other without.  
• Since the media started getting his name right, me included, Gabriel Szturc (Shhhh-stew-zzz) is on a roll. Riding a four game goal scoring streak, 'Gabby' has 7 goals in his last 13 games. Why the recent success? Shooting the puck more is one massive factor. Fifteen shots in his last four games will do that. 
• Andrew Cristall may be playing in the shadows of a 16 year-old like Connor Bedard, but let's call him Kelowna's little secret. With 49 points in 42 games, the first round WHL bantam pick, taken 17 players after Bedard was chosen first overall, is having a spectacular season. A three point effort (1+2=3) against the G-Men pumps up his goal total to 19. His three point game was his 6th of the season. Nothing against Everett Silvertips forward Niko Huuhtanen, who leads the Western Conference in rookie scoring, but the Finnish born forward is 18. That two years difference is massive in junior hockey. With a 9 point lead on Cristall in the Western Conference rookie scoring race, Huuhtanen has also played four more games. Being nominated as the Western Conference rookie of the year is no small feat this season, considering three Seattle Thunderbirds are also making a strong bid for the honour. 
• The last Rockets player to be named Western Conference rookie of the year was Nick Merkley in 2014. He won the award that season with 58 points. Shane McColgan was also named Western Conference rookie of the year in 2009-2010 by leading the team in scoring with 25 goals and 69 points. He would lose the league honour that season to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels.
• One goal games. It's been common place this season. Sunday's win was the teams 25th this season. It is the most of any WHL team. Looking back, the 2019 edition of the Vancouver Giants played in 29-one goal regular season games in advancing to the WHL final, where they would lose a one goal game in overtime to the eventual league champion PA Raiders. When all the dust had settled, regular season and playoffs, the G-Men had played in 40-one goal games.
• The Kelowna Rockets have been given the fewest power plays of anyone in the WHL. Crickets from everyone outside of Kelowna. But if the team has the most power play chances of any of the 22 teams, the conspiracy theorists come out in droves. The silence right now is deafening. 
• Rilen Kovacevic is leading the WHL in fighting majors. I didn't see that coming. The rookie isn't picking his spots either. Of the 9 fighting majors, eight have come on opposition ice. Oh, he is just 17 people!
• For those keeping count, the Rockets have 10 players with 30 or more points. No team has more. A few others equal that total including high powered Everett, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Next to join the 30 point club is Max Graham (29 points) and Jake Poole (28).
• The Rockets earned a playoff spot on the weekend. If the 'real season' started today, it's the Seattle Thunderbirds in round one. First place in the BC Division is still within reach, but with time ticking down, Captain Obvious can tell you the division will be won or lost in the next four games. Why? The Rockets and Blazers meet in four consecutive games. The schedule maker....we applaud thee!!! 

Character personified

Credit: Brian Liesse photo

"So proud of this group".

Those words from head coach Kris Mallette after his teams 4-3 road win Sunday against the Seattle Thunderbirds. He sure should be. Traveling through the night to meet the T-Birds in a 5 pm start is never easy. No, these junior teams don't fly. They bus. The 6+ hour drive from Kamloops, after losing 6-2 to the Blazers the night prior, meant the team put their sleepy head on a hotel pillow at 4:30 am. You can't sleep all day in an effort to prepare for the early start against the T-Birds. You need to dig deep and try to brush back that foggy feeling to prepare for a showdown against a team that leads you in the standings. Sleep deprived in what can only be described as a gutsy effort, the Rockets woke up Monday morning a point up, not a point behind, in the fight for fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Does the change in positioning mean a lot? You bet it does. If these two teams remain where they are when the regular season comes to a close, the 4th place team will have home ice advantage in round one. Who would have thought that the Rockets fighting major leader would score the biggest goals of his young WHL career? Rilen Kovacevic fired home his third goal of the season with 8 minutes left in the game and the Rockets handed the T-Birds a third consecutive loss with a 4-3 road victory.   

• What's not to like about this win. Being down 2-0 and fighting back to equal the score was impressive. Andrew Cristall opens the scoring on a power play goal against the best penalty killing unit in the WHL. Colton Dach adds his 18th and a 2-0 hole turns into a 2-2 tie. Dach's goal also comes on a power play that couldn't even register a shot on goal in it's opening chance a night earlier in Kamloops. It was Cristall's first goal in seven games. Dach has 3 goals in his last four. Those two need to step up with an illness to power play specialist Pavel Novak. They did with the extra man and it was crucial in the come-back-bid. 
• While timely scoring was huge in this game, it's the high panic threshold that continues to impress me about this group. Down 2-0, you could easily fold your cards and move away from the table. It doesn't seem to be an option with this group, instead staying in the fight. It's a belief in themselves. It is a belief in one another. It's a competitiveness that exists, where in past years, if things weren't going well for the skilled players, it was time to shut down the mill. The fight existed when things were going right, but true character is revealed when things are going wrong. You can turn on each other, or choose to play hard for each other. On a team that is void of an actually superstar, they win or lose as the result of a group effort. It must make the wins so rewarding. 
• With Tayln Boyko starting back-to-back games against the Kamloops Blazers Friday and Saturday night, and playing very well thank you very much, it was time to sit on the bench and let rookie goalie Jari Kykkanen face his toughest competition in his young career. Kykkanen - pronounced Kick-a-nin - was solid in Sunday's T-Bird 40 shot barrage. With the goalie of the future on display, he handed the T-Birds next great hope (netminder Scott Ratzlaff) only his second loss in 14 games.    
• Tyson Feist had a wonderful weekend. The 21 year-old team captain had two goals Friday night in a win against Kamloops. He then picked up another goal - his 12th - in a loss against the Blazers Saturday night. For good measure, he capped off the weekend with two assists in Sunday's victory. The d-core on this years team has 36 goals - combined. The last time we played a normal season was 2019-2020, with that group of defenders manufacturing just 30 goals through 63 games. Want another comparison of how the Rockets d-core is contributing on the scoresheet this season? The BC Division leading Kamloops Blazers have a combined 30 goals from the blue-line.  
• When things go sideways, fans look directly at the head coach. He is easy to blame when the team underperforms. I saw it first hand this season when the team struggled in late November and a few followers suggested on Twitter than Kris Mallette was the reason why the team was starting slowly. Yep, it was a talking point. It blew me away at the very suggestion. Using the word 'struggle' is a joke in itself. The team had 2 wins (2-3-0-1) in six games and some within the fanbase were freaking out. I kid you not. Now with things going extremely well, let's give credit where credit is due. Kris Mallette has done an exceptional job. Reaching 30 wins in 46 games is mind blowing. It's extremely good for someone who is in his first full season as a head coach. I'd argue, Mallette should be considering a nominee for Western Conference coach of the year. He won't, nor does he likely care, but with the 'buy in' of his players, this team is one of the pleasant surprises in the Western Conference. It wasn't suppose to be this smooth. 
• Will Mallette get the credit he deserves? He will from me, but he is under the umbrella of an organization where the bar is set extremely high. When a rookie coach leads his team to a WHL championship - thank you very much Dan Lambert - it's hard to get many accolades. But let's be realistic here. Mallette can't send Leon Draisaitl out on the ice. He can't put the d-pairing of Josh Morrissey and Madison Bowey out on the blueline. Hey, Nick Merkley, hey Rourke Chartier, get me a goal will ya? It isn't happening. That's what makes Mallette's exploits so impressive. Again, when things go well, the head coach is ignored. If the team struggles, the blame game typically centers around one person. It isn't fair, but sadly it's often true. 
• The Rockets were 9 and 3 in 12 games in February. Just say'n. Not bad for a team that has played the entire month without 19 year-old forward Jake Poole who has missed 13 consecutive games. 
• With 20 games left in the regular season, the schedule looks like this. Those 20 games will be played in 47 days. Of those 20 games, 10 are on home ice with 10 on the road. 

What....a...weekend!

Pavel Novak - one of the best ever to wear Rockets colours

• Call it a Kelowna Rockets rally. Or was it a Tri City Americans collapse? Can we all agree the entertainment value was extremely high following a 5-4 come-from-behind overtime win last night at Prospera Place? After an emotional win the night prior to the WHL point leading Everett Silvertips, the Rockets didn't come out flat, but they were clearly not at their best either. I'd argue the Americans deserved a better fate, but real good teams always find a way to win. The Rockets did just that. Conversely, teams that struggle often find ways to lose. The Americans crumbled in the third period when they looked in total control when leading 4-2. A power play goal from Pavel Novak makes it a one goal game. Head Coach Kris Mallette pulls the goaltender with 90 seconds remaining and rookie Andrew Cristall scores and it's 4-4. We go into overtime and you could sense the home team was going to rise from the ashes and win it. Yep, they did, with Cristall setting up Novak for his third goal of the game and the Rockets skated away with another overtime victory. That is now 4 overtime games on home ice. Each one has ended the same way - with the Rockets celebrating.
• This is a game where the Rockets had to earn everything they got. They were down 3-1 after giving up a shorthanded goal six minutes into the third period. They made it a one goal game only to see Samuel Huo score his second goal and his 100th career point to make it 4-2. What we've seen from this group this season is resilience. I can look back to a game in Portland in late November when the Rockets trailed the Winterhawks 5-1. Game over right? Nope. Four consecutive goals tied the score before eventually losing it in a shootout. The belief to battle back clearly exists in that dressing room.
• Jake Lee celebrating his 250th career WHL game last night had a two assist effort. Logging massive minutes and showing his offensive flair, the 20 year-old matched his career high with another 9 shot game. For my money, Lee has been the gem in the blockbuster trade the team made with the Seattle Thunderbirds in May, 2019 when they picked up Dillon Hamaliuk, Cole Schwebius and Lee. Hamaliuk was the prized possession at the time, but I'd suggest Lee has made a greater impact in his time in Kelowna. Lee has 74 points in 114 games with his new team. Hamaliuk had 44 points, in far fewer games played mind you, but you get the idea that the soft spoken d-man has had a far greater impact in a deal that saw a first round WHL bantam pick and Conner Bruggen-Cate go the other way. Lee is the teams best defenceman. He should pick up the honour at the teams awards banquet at the conclusion of the season. While that trade was precipitated to build for a strong appearance at the 2020 Memorial Cup that never materialized, that deal is still giving back three years after the fact. 
• Andrew Cristall is a very impressive player. The skill set is above average. What kills you as a coach is often his ill advised cross ice passes or clearing attempts that are not executed with authority. Instead of getting ticked off at the parts of his game that need improvement and stapling his butt on the bench like coaches did in the 'good old days', Kris Mallette plays him, not punishes him in an effort to correct the mistakes. What happens? Cristall rewards the coach. He is in on all three crucial goals when the team needs offensive production to battle back in the game. How many 16 year-old's are put into that position late in a game? I hope Cristall realizes the long rope he has been given and the faith the Mallette shows by putting him on the ice when the chips are down. I think he does. He rewards the coach by setting up Novak's power play goal, scoring the tying marker and then feathering a pass to Novak for the game winner. If you think it's normal for a 16 year-old to be that instrumental in a come-from--behind win, let me be the first to tell you, it's not!!
• The Rockets had to dig deep in this one after losing second leading point producer Colton Dach to a five minute major for a check to the head of Americans forward Sasha Mutala. Losing Dach was impactful. The 19 year-old is always a threat to score. He shoots the puck a ton and is good at the face-off circle. Others needed to step up and they did.
• The ugly stat? The Americans have 1 regulation win in their last 20 visits to Prospera Place. That's a record of 1-16-1-2 over that stretch.  
• In case you haven't noticed, Pavel Novak is closing in on 100 games played in the WHL. With 93 games under his belt, the 19 year-old has 110 career points. That puts him second all-time in points by a European forward in the Kelowna Rockets record books. Novak is only bettered by Vaclav Varada, who had 173 points in two seasons from 1994-96. Tomas Oravec had 87 career points over two seasons and sits third - all-time. Novak, even today, has to be considered as one of the best players from overseas to skate at Prospera Place.
• Coming into this season, goaltending was considered a weakness with the 2021-2022 edition of the Kelowna Rockets. It had to be addressed with two overage goalies in Cole Schwebius and Roman Basran. It took some experimentation with Colby Knight and maybe a risky trade with 19 year-old Tayln Boyko, but it appears things have worked out wonderfully. Why was the Boyko deal risky? While drafted by the New York Rangers, Boyko was unproven as a starter. At the time of the trade, the Drumheller product saw sporadic duty behind the likes of Beck Warm. Being consistent with an increased workload isn't easy. Fortunately for the Rockets, Boyko has been brilliant and it now looks like a tremendous deal made by GM Bruce Hamilton. I'd trade a third rounder back to Tri City in a heartbeat considering how steady Boyko has been since his arrival. With Jari Kykkanen as his sidekick, that position hasn't looked this solid in a long, long time. Even when the backup is required to play, you don't have that feel in the pit of your stomach that disaster is close at hand. Kykkanen is no shrinking violet either.
• Summing up the weekend in one word? Spectacular. The win against Everett was the biggest of the season without question. It just solidified the belief that the team can indeed play with the elite. While still not considered a top tier team by some, the Rockets have put together a 26 win season while sitting tied for 4th with the fewest goals allowed in the entire WHL. The last 18 games likely explains it all - 13-2-1-0. This team is for real.

January blues? I don't think so!

Remember the children's book, 'The Little Engine That Could'?

The phrase often used was - I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

It appears the 2021-2022 edition of the Kelowna Rockets have taken it a step further.

I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.

We witnessed it again last night in a 3-1 win over the visiting Vancouver Giants. Trailing 1-0 after 40 minutes, the home team played to a quicker pace, put the foot on the accelerator and scored three unanswered goals in their 22nd win of the season. The Giants lost for the first time in 15 games when holding the lead after two periods. One common theme is this teams ability to elevate in the third period. Again, the numbers only punctuate my point. Not only has this team allowed a league low - 23 - third period goals against - they've scored 49 times in the final frame. The third period, specifically, is when the Rockets play at their best.

• It has been amazing to watch this team galvanize together, where no one player is a star. They likely won't have a top 10 scorer on the roster this season. Pavel Novak just cracks the top 20. This may be the first team I've seen in my 25+ years of calling games for the Kelowna Rockets where 'strength in numbers' is personified. I'd suggest this team plays one of the best 'team games' I've witnessed. The data backs me up. The Rockets have 12 players with 20 or more points. 12! It is a diversified attack. By comparison, the Edmonton Oil Kings have 13 players with 20 or more points. The Winnipeg Ice have 12 players while Kamloops has 11. The WHL's best team - the Everett Silvertips - have 10 players. The Rockets are NEVER mentioned in the same conversation as those four teams because they don't play a sexy game. It's lunch bucket, but effective.
• Again, it isn't one, two or three players doing the heavy lifting here. Pavel Novak has points in 9 of his last 11, but it goes far beyond the 19 year-old's exploits. Colton Dach has points in 9 of his last 10. Jake Lee has points in 11 of his last 13 games. Andrew Cristall is chipping in with points in 11 of his last 15. Mark Liwiski has points in 11 of his last 15 games too and has six goals in his last 9 games. The big surprise is the elevation in play of Jake Poole. The 19 year-old is riding a career high 7 game point streak and has goals in 7 of his last 10. He started the year with 4 goals in his opening 19 games and was basically a non-factor. Coach Kris Mallette made him a healthy scratch and since that point moving forward, Poole has made an impact. 
• I'd like to share a story of how Mallette is pulling the right strings for a new coach with under 70 WHL games under his belt. I won't share it right now on this blog, but Mallette is making far more great moves in getting the most out his team than you might think. Some of them are gutsy or bold in my eyes, but I like the success he is seeing by making the ballsy call.
• When did the team turn the corner from being a pretender to a contender? Was it the deal that saw the team solidify its goaltending with the acquisition of Tayln Boyko? Acquired November 7th from Tri City, the team is 16-7-1-2 under his watch. That's points in 19 of 26 games. Boyko is 15-5-0-2 as the teams #1 starter. Let's remember Boyko wasn't lights out terrific in his first few starts and even was pulled a few times by Mallette. The New York Rangers draft pick worked through the kinks in his game and is well on his way to earning a pro contract. 
• Boyko better not argue about ice time. He has started 20 of the teams last 22 games.
• Team chemistry is hard to create. Either you like each other or you don't. This group, in my small observations, really like one another off the ice. It's a big deal that no coach can create. Wanting to play for each other and celebrating the accomplishments of a teammate is very underrated. Watch the video from last night's game and the celebration when Jake Poole scores his third period goal. Everyone on the ice wearing Rockets colours are as happy as Poole that he found the back of the net. Tyson Baillie was such a good teammate that way. While a gifted scorer, his face would light up when a line-mate had success. I want more Tyson Baillie's. I think this team has more than a few.   
• I can look back to Colton Dach's first game with the Rockets in Victoria on the first weekend of the regular season as the defining moment for me. I didn't know Dach, but I assumed he would come back to the WHL with a certain swagger after spending time with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. Again, this is only observation, but the 18 year-old quickly acclimated himself into the group. It looked seamless. It was right then and there that I thought to myself, this player and this group is going to have tremendous chemistry moving forward.
• It was the Rockets 6th consecutive win last night. Sure, sure, four of those victories came against the Victoria Royals, but you still have to beat the teams that the schedule maker puts in front of you. That 6 game winning streak is the longest of the season and ties the mark set by the 2017-2018 team. The 2016-2017 edition of the Kelowna Rockets won 7 straight games.
• The Rockets 22 wins this season, is the exact same number of victories as the non-playoff team in 2006-2007. Yikes, that was an awful season, but it paved the way to WHL championship success two seasons later. Again, you have to lose before you can win. 
• The Rockets played back to back games against the Giants without second leading scorer Colton Dach, power play assist leader Nolan Flamand and captain Tyson Feist. Don't worry folks, all three are out with injuries and their absences are not the result of COVID. 
• The Rockets have 21 wins against teams in the BC Division. That is impressive considering first place Kamloops also has 21 victories. 
• What I like about this years team is the ability to score even strength. The team has found the back of the net 138 times, with only 27 goals coming on the power play. That means only 19.6 % of the goals scored are coming with the extra man. By comparison, Victoria has scored 114 goals with 36 of them coming with a opposition player in the penalty box. That means the Royals are scoring 32% of their goals with the man advantage.  
• The Rockets are now 9-3-1-0 in the second game of back-to-backs.
• The Rockets end off the month of January with a record of 7-1-1-0 in 9 games. Not bad considering three games were postponed and the team had to pause after a few cases of COVID-19. Some ask me if the team will catch Kamloops for first place in the BC Division in the final two and a half months of the regular season. If the mental approach remains a constant of - 'I know I can, I know I can, I know I can, it leaves no doubt in my mind that it's best not to bet against them.

Rockets a handful on home ice

Rookie Marcus Pacheco unloading one of his career high 6 shots on net 

Wrestling fans would call it an old fashioned beat down.

The old timers would categorize it as taking the opposition to the woodshed.

The mathematicians in the crowd would use these numbers: 15-5.

Whichever way you want to slice it, the Kelowna Rockets showed little mercy Saturday night in a 9-1 dismantling of the Victoria Royals. Out-scoring them 15-5 in back-to-back games, the nine goal outburst saw Jake Poole put up 5 points (1+4=5) while Pavel Novak and Adam Kydd scored twice in the lopsided win. The accelerator was applied early in this one with the home team building up a five goal first period lead. Unlike the previous night where the Royals scored three of its four goals on the power play in a 6-4 loss, it appeared the visitors just ran out of gas in this one and not even its power play could keep them close. Dealing with injury and players in COVID protocol, the Rockets took full advantage. Before we feel sorry for the opponent, let's remember the home team was playing without its best d-man (Jake Lee), it's fifth leading scorer (Nolan Flamand) and arguably it's best forechecker (Mark Liwiski). Lee was ill. Flamand is hurt and Liwiski was serving game two of a two game suspension. To suggest the Rockets were at full strength and the Royals were not would be inaccurate. 

• Up until last night, the Rockets highest goal total was 7. They beat Vancouver 7-6 in overtime and earned a 7-4 win against Kamloops prior to the Christmas break. The team hasn't scored 9 goals since January 2017 when they beat the Royals 9-2. That season they put up 10 goals in one game in a 10-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings.
• Do the Rockets have scoring depth? Well, the team has 8 players with 20 or more points. Tyson Feist and Gabriel Szturc are one point shy of joining that group. By comparison, the Royals have just three. First place Kamloops has 9 players with 20 or more points.
• He may be the quietest player on the team. Heck, he sits behind me in the bus so I should know. It is likely the reason why I really like Marcus Pacheco. As a shy, quiet teenager myself, I can relate. I was so pleased to see him score his first career goal last night. 'Patches' as he is known by his teammates, the 16 year-old is such an elite skater, but his lack of finding the back of the net had to be weighing heavily on him. I loved the fact that head coach Kris Mallette wasn't going to take him off the power play in an effort to get that elusive - first one! I also enjoyed the celebration from his teammates when they rallied around him when he found pay dirt. It is one of those regular season 'memorable moments' for me. I can only image how the 16 year-old felt with the monkey off his shoulders. 
• Small observation. Is goaltender Talyn Boyko tracking the puck better? In my opinion he is. In dealing with traffic, he is able to make saves and look around opposing forwards more proficiently. Maybe goaltending coach Eli Wilson gets credit here. The extra work has paid off. 
• Boyko has one loss in his last 9 starts. The 19 year-old has started a career high 10 straight. 
• He can't complain. Boyko has started 17 of the last 18 games. He leads the league in saves and is second in minutes played. 
• Tyson Feist had a nice weekend. Physical and setting the tone early. No less than six big hits were applied at his own blue line. Word to the wise. Keep your head up!!
• Do I dare say the Rockets have once again re-established themselves on home ice? Remember when opposition teams had little hope when entering Prospera Place that they would exit with two points? The Rockets used to be one of the best home ice teams in the league. They lost that certain something when they went 14-15-4-1 in 2018-2019. It felt odd to see the team be so ordinary on home ice. It appears now, with 13 home ice victories, the mojo is back. The 13 wins ties them with Everett for the Western Conference lead. 
• With much uncertaintly in this COVID world, the plan is for the team to begin a stretch of five straight games on the road. It starts Friday night in Everett followed by a stop in Vancouver Saturday. Then it's off Victoria for two games before another stop against the Giants on January 28th. That is 5 games in 8 nights for those counting.   
• I did some digging. Royals forward Bailey Peach has 21 goals in 32 games. He is currently on the exact same pace as Matthew Phillips, who scored 50 goals with Victoria in 2016-2017. That season, Phillips had 50+40=90 points. 

"We are taking every day as a blessing"

"We are taking every day as a blessing that we can play and hopefully that continues."

Those words from Kelowna Rockets head coach Kris Mallette after it was learned three of his teams games have been postponed due to cases of COVID-19.

Friday's home games was postponed against the Vancouver Giants while this Tuesday and Wednesday's road games in Prince George have also been put on hold.

In both cases, the Giants and Cougars had an abundance of positive cases and couldn't ice a team. 

"It is still around (Omicron). It has been a long time since it has been around. It's unfortunate. I have my booster set for Monday, so I am doing all I can and I know other people are doing the same thing. I just hope we can get through this," Mallette added.

The Rockets have had a few cases of COVID, but not enough to force a complete shutdown. The Rockets are one of the lucky ones. Fifteen other teams across the WHL, and one point, have been put on pause due to the pandemic.

"Isn't it ironic? We were the only team to get it last year in the bubble. You don't want to say not if, but when. I don't want to be a pessimist but studies show that once it gets into a team environment that it goes through you real quick. Hopefully if we do have that amongst our group, it is nothing serious and all of us get through it."

The WHL has said all along, all postponed games will eventually be played. Some are suggesting the season may have to be extended beyond April 3rd for that to happen.

3 out of possible 4 points

Jake Lee hits 100 point plateau

• Golf is a game of inches. So is hockey. Just ask the Kelowna Rockets d-man Jake Lee. In  overtime Sunday afternoon, the soft spoken defender rings one off the goal post. The puck comes the other way and Zach Ostopchuk scores seconds later. Game over! Call it bad luck. Or call it a point in the standings. Frankly, I left the Langley Events Centre feeling ok with the effort and result considering the team was trailing 3-2 heading into the third period. The statistics were against the Rockets in earning a point. They had only one win after trailing after two periods and the Giants were 7-0-0-0 at home when leading after 40 minutes. Getting a clutch power play goal from Colton Dach to tie the score just 7 seconds into the man advantage was massive. This team has no quit. I've seen it too many times to doubt them. I am awfully impressed by the will this team has to fight back when the chips are down. That belief to win may be the reason why the coaches and players - as a collective group - were dissatisfied with Sunday's result. They believe they should have won the game. They were sour with the end result. That is a great thing. 
• You may want to watch the video of Dach's tying goal. The beauty isn't the shot, which is drilled into the net with proficiency from the 19 year-old. It's the picture perfect pass from 16 year-old Andrew Cristall that makes this goal possible. At the top of the right face-off circle, Cristall threads the needle with a tremendous - flat pass - through no less than two Giants sticks to find Dach at the left dot. Dach, in one tremendous motion, fires it home and it's a new game. Cristall is such a special player. His skill level is elite. I don't want to take it for granted. I want to continue to me mesmerized by his soft hands. Remember, he is 16. 16!! Not since Nick Merkley or Shane McColgan, have we seen such a young player do so many veteran type things.
• Cristall has 6+5=11 in the last 8 games. By comparison, leading scorer Pavel Novak also has 11 points (3+8=11) in his last 8 games.
• Positives? Lots in my seat from the press box. The Rockets opened the scoring in this one. They had gone 7 straight road games without the opening goal. Heck, the visitors had a 2-1 lead after one period, impressive considering the team was on the bus in the early morning hours for the 4 pm start time. 
• Jake Lee hit the 100 point mark with an assist on Dach's power play goal. The 20 year-old has played 105 games with the Rockets since being acquired from Seattle in a blockbuster deal at the WHL bantam draft in 2019. Lee has almost been a point a game player this season. I didn't see that coming. He easily will surpass the 30 points he had in 2019-2020. He already has a career high 8 goals after scoring 5 times two years ago. Oh, did we mention, Lee is riding a 8 game point streak (2+9=11), the longest point streak (tied with Novak) of any Rockets player this season. 
• Who is the next Rockets played to reach 100 points? Pavel Novak has 92. 
• The Rockets would have won this game had Justin Sourdif not played. The 19 year-old returned after playing for Team Canada at the world juniors and was typically noticeable. I've never see him take a game off. The third round NHL draft pick is always a factor. The Giants captain had two assists and a team high 5 shots on net. In the seasonal series, Sourdif has 2+8=10.
• I was hoping the Rockets could capitalize with Fabian Lysell absent from the Giants lineup. The first round NHL draft pick of the Boston Bruins is back in Sweden taking more time off after playing for his country - for a limited time mind you - at the world juniors. It's not a great look. His countrymen, Giants goalie Jesper Vickman, didn't go home after playing at the prestigious tournament. He played Sunday against the Rockets.  Lysell isn't expected to play this Friday when the two teams meet again - this time at Prospera Place.
• Head Coach Kris Mallette wanted to see his team play disciplined against the G-Men. Man, did they ever comply. Jake Poole took the only penalty for the road team. Coming into the game, the Giants had scored 7 goals on 15 power play chances. 
• It was hard to believe but Talyn Boyko was making his first start at the LEC - ever! The 19 year-old has been on a roll as of late, with 5 consecutive wins up until Sunday's overtime defeat. 
• It was the Rockets first overtime loss this season. They had won four consecutive games in OT with two coming against Victoria and one each vs. Kamloops and Vancouver. 
• The Rockets are 15-5-1-0 against the BC Division this season. 
• Impressive in the second of back-to-back games. The Rockets are 6-3-1-0 this season in that situation. 
• Hold onto your hat. This Friday will be the start of 12 games in 23 days including two home games this weekend against Vancouver and Portland before traveling up to Prince George for two games against the Cougars one week from today. 

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

Tayln Boyko ain't scared of the big bad wolf

• Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf. Remember that song made famous by Disney in 1930? Clearly the Kelowna Rockets are not afraid of the Kamloops Blazers. A 6-0-0-0 record this season is a clear indicator they don't feel intimidated. But can you not blame them if they felt the Blazers were the 'big bad wolf' heading into this season? Failure was common place. Eleven straight losses at Sandman Centre. A play-in game collapse on March 19, 2019 was a devastating blow. Thankfully only current 20 year-old Mark Liwiski was in the lineup on that dreaded night when the Blazers came from a long way back to catch the Rockets for the final playoff spot before gladly ending the Rockets succession of 11 straight playoff appearances by sending them packing with an humiliating loss. But that was then. This is now. Whatever is happening, the Rockets are not cowering to a team that is significantly more skilled. I think physicality is an issue. I think determined play is a factor. The Rockets have it right now. The Blazers, surprisingly, don't. 
• The Rockets enjoyed a 6-2 win over the Blazers last night at Prospera Place. Again, Talyn Boyko was solid and was a key reason why the home team was able to pull away with four goals in the third period. The 19 year-old goalie is now 5-0-0-0 against Kamloops with a 2.39 goals against average and a save percentage of .935.  
• Who holds the hot stick for the Rockets right now? That honour is bestowed on Andrew Cristall. Goals in three straight games, the highly skilled forward doesn't get much attention because the draft class he was apart of was so heavily stacked with Conner Bedard taken 1st overall in 2020. Playing in his shadows may be a blessing in disguise though. Cristall's blind - spinning backhand last night to Mark Liwiski was nothing short of filthy. The composure he showed in his overtime wraparound goal a night earlier is unteachable. The kid just has it. With 10 goals this season, you would think a 20 goal rookie campaign is in reach. He reminds me a bit of Nick Merkley. 'Merks' was more of passer than a shooter. His best season, goal scoring wise, was his rookie campaign when he struck for 25 goals. Merkley had a career high 70 assists and 90 points a few seasons later. Both Merkley and Cristall are pass first players. Both are good on their edges. Both have great on-ice vision. Both are smaller but are able to use their body to leverage themselves against bigger players. 
• Cristall was the 6th forward chosen in the 2020 WHL bantam draft. When you compare his offensive production (10+10=20) with his 16 year-old colleagues, he is pretty much on par with those chosen before him. Regina's Connor Bedard (1st overall) has 24 points. Riley Heidt of the PG Cougars (2nd overall) has 21. Brayden Yager (3rd overall) of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the eye popper with 15 goals and 28 points. Kalan Lind (6th overall) with Red Deer has 13 points. Sam Oremba of the Seattle Thunderbirds (7th overall) has 2+3=5.  
• The Rockets earned back-to-back wins with their top two forwards out of the lineup. Pavel Novak and Colton Dach did not play. Instead, six different players stepped up last night and got involved in the scoring. The Blazers were also playing short staffed. No Logan Stankoven or Dylan Garand. Marko Stacha is absent on the back end,. In my opinion it was a level playing field. No excuses could be used in this home and home series in late December. The Rockets were just better.
• Before we get too excited here, let's remember that hockey teams go through funks during the season. It is never a clean sheet of excellent hockey. The Blazers are struggling scoring goals right now. They have found the back of the net 14 times in their last 7 games. That's not normal. This will indeed pass. It happens to even the most gifted teams. While we won't see the Blazers for another month, I suspect they will look different when the trade winds blow through the 'Tournament Capital'. They will be better and will be a force down the stretch. Remember, no one remembers games in December. We only recall what happens in April and May. At least we do in this neck of the woods. When the bar is low, you go crazy when you win games at this time of the year,. If the bar is high, you quickly move on to the next opponent,.   
• It was nice to see Jake Poole find the back of the net. It was his first goal in 12 games. Poole missed several games with an upper body injury, so his goal last night was his first since November 5th. No pressure, but Poole is the only remaining 19 year-old player on the roster from the 2017 WHL bantam draft. The team had no first rounder. It's second round selection was Ethan Bowen, who elected to play in the BCHL. The third round pick was Ethan Ernst, who was traded to Tri City. The 4th and 5th round selections were players that never materialized. The only saving grace from that 2017 draft class is the fact that the team was able to hit the bullseye with Pavel Novak in the CHL Import Draft later that spring. The team has only three-2002 born players on its roster. Poole, Novak and Talyn Boyko.
• Congrats to Scott Cousins for recording his 1st point of the season on a helper on Steel Quiring's third period breakaway marker. 
• The Rockets are now 14 and 5 against teams in the BC Division. It is the best interconference record of any of the five teams.
• The Rockets ended December with a record of 5-4-0-1. Two of the four losses were decided by a single goal. 
• As we close the books on 2021 - thankfully - the team went 25-14-1-3. That takes into account a 10-5-1-0 record in the abbreviated season and the 15-9-0-3 record in 2021-2022.  
• The Rockets ring in the new year, Saturday January 1st against the Victoria Royals. January brings with it a great set of challenges. The team will play 14 games in 31 days. It includes 5 games against Victoria, who are arguably the most improved team in the division if not the conference. By my records, Dan Price has his team with 10 wins, 2 losses and three overtime losses in their last 15 games. Look out!!!!

Pavel propels Rockets to win

Pavel Novak  

• Did the Kelowna Rockets deserve to win last night against the Victoria Royals? Did they deserve to lose to the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds Saturday night? Hockey and sports in general are not always fair. Sometimes you play well and lose. You see it all the time. Play poorly or subpar and still earn two points. Out-shot 18-3 in the third period in last night's 5-4 win, Steel Quiring's determined effort tied the score before Pavel Novak, who is unquestionably the teams most dangerous player, fired home the game winner snapping a season high 4 game winless streak. It was Novak's final game with his junior team before playing for the Czech Republic at the world junior hockey championships. It was Novak's 13th goal of the season. In Novak's rookie campaign, where he led the team in scoring with 25 goals and 58 points in 55 games, the point producing dynamo had 13 goals at the Christmas break. You can't make this stuff up. 
• With someone so proficient in scoring - it was surprisingly - Novak's first game winner of the season. He had 5 game winners in his rookie campaign.
• The Rockets snapped a four game winless streak. It likely felt longer as losses weigh heavily on a team. Can you imagine being winless in 16 games? Just ask the Medicine Hat Tigers. They went through before beating Red Deer in a shootout on the weekend. 
• The Rockets enjoyed the lead for the majority of the game. Even when Victoria either tied it or finally grabbed it, the home team got it back in a hurry. Evan Patrician tied the score at 1 before Noah Dorey scored :39 seconds later to make it 2-1. The Royals took a 4-3 lead in the third period before Steel Quiring tied the score :54 later. I don't know if the word 'bump up shift' is still used in todays game? It refers to the next shift after allowing a goal being a pivotal one. Getting the goal back after being scored upon on the very next shift is an admirable quality. It was Quiring's first goal in 10 games. 
• I thought both goalies were good despite 9 goals being surrendered. No less than two were tipped with one going off Royals forward Evan Patrician and into the back of the net. At the other end, Victoria back stopper Campbell Arnold was sharp early with several big stops when the Rockets were awarded three consecutive power plays. The ugly goal came when Noah Dorey's wrist shot hit Wyatt Wilson in the leg, ricocheted off Arnold and found the back of the net. No shot was a bad shot.  
• Dorey was a health scratch Saturday against Seattle. He had his first two goal game of his career. Of the three goals he's scored this season, two have been on the power play. The last Rockets d-man to score three goals in a game was Tyson Barrie. Yep, it doesn't happen often. Barrie found the back of the net three times in 2010.
• The Rockets have been to overtime 7 times this season. The WHL high is held by Victoria and Portland, who have played extra time - 8 times. The Royals went into overtime for the 6th time in their last 8 games and for the 8th time in its last 12 contests.
•  It was the sixth time the Rockets have scored 5 or more goals. They are 5-0-0-1 in those games.
• The Royals set a new high with 47 shots on net. It was the second highest total of shots allowed by the Rockets this season. They allowed 48 last Wednesday against Everett in a 5-3 loss.
• It was a rare Tuesday game. It is the only Tuesday home game this season.
• For what it's worth, it was the teams 5th game in 8 nights. Pass me a lozenge. 
• Are you ready for the Teddy Bear Toss game this Saturday against Kamloops? It is the 8th year the team has held the event. The first goal scorer in Kelowna Rockets franchise history was Ryan Olsen back in 2013. Here are a list of the Teddy Bear Toss goal scorers over the years:                   

          2013: Ryan Olsen          
          

          2014: Dillon Dube  

          2015: Dillon Dube

          2016: Nick Merkley 

          2017: Conner Bruggen-Cate

          2018: Mark Liwiski

          2019: Nolan Foote

          2020: No game 

          2021: ?

Rough stretch for Rockets

Goal judges at Rockets games are toast

• With Christmas two weeks away, the Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds were in a giving mood Saturday night at Prospera Place. Big boy hockey was played. Not for the faint of heart hockey was on display. Two fights in the opening three minutes. Big hits at every turn. It was as physical a game we've witnessed this season. In the end the T-Birds stole victory from the hands of defeat with two goals in a span of :57 seconds late in the third period in a 5-4 win. It looked like the Rockets had this one in the bag when Tyson Feist scored with essentially 6 minutes left in the game, but the T-Birds had other ideas. The visitors scored the tying goal just :17 seconds later and the game was lost less than a minute after that when Mekia Sanders fired one home on a two-on-one for the T-Birds 10th road win of the season. This one stings because the Rockets dodged a bullet. Outplayed in the opening 20 minutes, they still enjoyed a 2-0 lead. Only good teams are able to buckle down and fight back. Seattle did just that after feeling good about themselves after handing the Blazers a loss in Kamloops the night prior.
• While it looks like a third period collapse, which on the surface it was, I hate to say it, but a save is required at that crucial point in the game. The game winning goal has Rockets goaltender Tayln Boyko in the right position to make the stop. He is coming across the net, but is set and square to the shooter. I watched it several times on replay. Sanders wrist shot beats him glove side, short side. Good shot? Sure. Big save needed? Yepper.
• Getting into shooting lanes. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. Two T-Bird shots come from the point that make its way through to the back of the net. Are those stopped with less emphases on blocking them and a better visual for the goalie? I am sure the analytics show shot blocking is more of a help than a hinderance.  
• This game had as much jam as anticipated. We saw two tilts in the opening three minutes. Mark Liwiski takes on 6'9 Matthew Rempe before John Babcock took on a big boy in Reid Schaefer. Much like Tuesday, down at Showare Centre, you had to show courage if you wanted to play in this game. If the puck was on your stick, you had to be prepared to be hit. The T-Birds are as physical as the Rockets, if not more.
• If you were surprised at Seattle's confidence level on the road, you shouldn't have been. They had 9 road wins coming into the game. Only Kamloops (12) had more victories away from home ice.  
• Kris Mallette doesn't like to tinker with his lines. In an astute move, he separate Colton Dach from playing alongside Pavel Novak Saturday night. Ideally, I think it makes the team more lethal to have them apart. Why? When Novak plays with Dach, he becomes less of a shooter and more of a passer. The 19 year-old has to be trigger happy because he can score. You don't get 25 goals in your rookie season by fluke. I like Dach playing with 16 year-old Andrew Cristall. Cristall's skill set is still extremely high in an ability to get Dach, a shooter, the puck. And lets face it. Dach has to get used to playing without Novak anyway. The Minnesota Wild draft pick will be gone for close to 9 games when he plays for the Czech Republic at the world juniors. 
• The Rockets are winless in 4 games. It is the biggest slide of the season. The team has one win in their last 5 games (1-4-0-1). That victory came in Kamloops against the Blazers. During this recent slide, three of the regulation losses and the shootout loss came against teams above them in the standings. The setback that really stings for me was the 3-2 game against Prince George. It can't happen. Why? You've been so good on home ice and the Cougars were playing the final game of six straight on the road. 
• The Rockets are 1-4-0-3 in 8 games against US Division teams this season.
• Saturday's loss was the teams 4th game in 5 nights. It's been a busy schedule of late. But remember, this has been a soft launch to the season for the Rockets, who at the Christmas break will have played just 25 games. 25! Only Tri City and Victoria have played fewer (22) heading into this week. 
• It was nice to see the Rockets open the scoring Saturday night. It was the first time in 6 games it happened. It is only the 7th time this season where the Rockets lit the lamp first.
• If you didn't notice, goal judges weren't used for the first time ever at Prospera Place this weekend. Yep, the goal judges have gone the way of the dodo bird. Many buildings didn't have them from the start of puck drop on the 2021-2022 season. In Kelowna, we finally eliminated them starting with Friday's 3-2 home ice loss to the Prince George Cougars. Let's just say, video didn't only kill the radio star, they also killed the role of the goal judge. The NHL hasn't used goal judges since the 2018-2019 season.
• The Victoria Royals provide the opposition Tuesday. Man, that team has resurrected from the dead. Weren't they 1-11 when they last made an appearance at Prospera Place? Now healthy and busy making trades, the Royals are back in the hunt with points in 9 straight and sit only 6 points back of Kelowna for third place in the BC Division. The only saving grace during this four game slide is the fact that the teams above them in the standings - Kamloops and Vancouver - are also sucking slough water.

The Rockets learning as they go

Alex Swetlikoff faced his old team Wednesday night 
Photo courtesy Kristin Ostrowski

• You can learn a lot from winning. You can also glean a lot of information about yourself when you lose. The Kelowna Rockets have a better understanding about areas of improvement after a 5-3 loss Wednesday night to the best team in the Western Conference. The Everett Silvertips began to take over in the second period and the pace appeared to quicken. The Rockets, who played the night prior in a physical affair in Seattle, seemed to be a little slow-a-foot. The Tips have lots of hurry and hustle in their game. That and the ability to be physical added up to the Rockets making ill advised plays with the puck. Against the better teams like Everett, who could have four players at the upcoming world juniors, they can eat you alive if you don't match the pace and intensity. Despite the onslaught, the Rockets were still within a goal until the Tips manufactured a power play goal 6:10 into the third period. 
• The Rockets are 5-2-0-0 in the second of back-to-back games this season.
• It was one of the better opening periods I've seen from the Rockets in Everett. Sure, goaltender Tayln Boyko had to be sharp, but it was a 1-1 game after 20 minutes and the shots were just 12-10 for the home team. Avoiding colossal damage in the first period against the Tips is paramount. They've out-scored the opposition 30-12 in the first period heading into last nights game. 
• Max Graham made an impression against his old squad. Traded from the Tips to the Rockets for Alex Swetlikoff and a 6th rounder, the draft eligible Graham had two goals. His opening goal caught Tips goalie Braden Holt sleeping, but his second of the game in the third period was a beautiful shot from between the hash marks on a setup from Turner McMillen. Coming into last night's game, Graham had just two shots in his previous seven games. That's an ugly stat. Wednesday night, the Kelowna resident fired four pucks on net which ties a season high for him. 
• Pavel Novak is a clutch player. A perfect example came when the 19 year-old was awarded a shorthanded penalty shot when the game was tied at one. Instead of wilting under the pressure, Novak seized the moment by making it look easy by shooting, not deking to find the back of the net. Lesser players shoot the puck wide or make a move and lose control of the puck. Novak scored his 11th goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Colton Dach. Novak is a pressure player. 
• I love the deployment of Colton Dach at the point when the goalie is pulled for the extra attacker. The 18 year-old's quick release can come screaming at the goalie and appears to have the velocity of some players who take the massive windup for a slap shot. Those are often blocked. Dach is also able to get shots through with traffic in front of the opposition goaltender. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen Dach take a slap shot. I'm serious. All of his shots this season are primarily snap shots.
• The Rockets allowed a season high 48 shots against in the 5-3 setback. The previous high was 39 in a 2-1 shootout win to Spokane November 26th. Heading into the game, the Rockets had allowed the 6th fewest shots on goal - per game - at 29.8. 
• Tayln Boyko has made 7 consecutive starts. The last Rockets goalie to play 8 straight games was Michael Herringer in 2015-2016. With Jackson Whistle's season ending with hip surgery, Herringer started a whopping 18 straight. 
• The Rockets seem to play their best when they make the quick, five to six foot passes when transitioning up ice. It not only looks good, but it is often effective in preventing turnovers in the neutral zone. It was on wonderful display Saturday in Kamloops but seemed tougher to execute against Seattle and Everett.   
• Give the Tips credit. They did not take a single penalty until less than a minute remaining in the game with the score 5-3. That's a tough feat in today's game, but the Tips took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass and then a holding minor when the games was clearly in the bag.
• The Rockets played this one without forward Mark Liwiski. The 20 year-old was suspended for two games for a hit against Seattle the night prior. Liwiski is eligible to return when the two teams meet again Saturday night at Prospera Place. Liwiski has been suspended twice before, for three games for boarding in 2019 and one game for the accumulation of kneeing minors. 
• With a three game road trip behind them, where the Rockets earned 3 out of a possible 6 points, it's time for four straight home games before the Christmas break. Prince George is on the menu Friday followed by the Seattle Thunderbirds only visit to Prospera Place on Saturday. 

Ignorance is bliss

Allen Douglas photo credit

• I wasn't totally convinced. I had my doubts. I wanted to believe that what I've been witnessing is indeed real. My confidence level in the 2021-2022 edition of the Kelowna Rockets took a significant step forward following a road win last night over BC Division leading Kamloops Blazers. I still had question marks despite two wins earlier this season against them. Could the Rockets win a game on the road, something that hasn't been accomplished in 11 consecutive visits to Sandman Centre? It happened last night, much to my delight in a 4-3 come from behind win. When the buzzer sounded, for the first time since Lassi Thomson patrolled the blue-line, the Rockets stepped off the ice in front of a hostile crowd with two points in their back pocket. While head coach Kris Mallette was pleased with his groups effort on our AM 1150 post game show, he wasn't getting overly excited about what the win meant for the psyche of his team. He quietly sounded like he expected the end result. If his bar is set that high for his team, the players must feel too that they have what it takes to compete against the Western Conference's elite. Don't be fooled. The Rockets didn't hold on for the one goal win in this one. Some anxious moments in the dying seconds for sure, but it was that bend but not break mentality that made the road victory that much more rewarding. 
• As mentioned, the Rockets didn't escape with the win. They deserved what they got. They surrendered the opening goal just 1:18 into the game. The Blazers are 15-1-0-0 when that happens, but no one told Kris Mallette's crew. Colton Dach, playing in his 100th career WHL game, found the back of the net from the lip of the crease just 3:41 later and it was proof the visitors were not going to wilt like a flower thrown into the freezer. Heck, they've been resilient all season long, why would we doubt them now? Well, you cast doubt because the opponent up until last night's game were 39-7-0-1 in the last three seasons playing at the Sandman Centre. I've seen the Blazers throw a knock out punch so many times in that building when it looks like the visitors are under control. The Rockets in their last 12 appearances were a dismal 1-7-3-1. 
• What may benefit this group, specifically, is many have not been around to witness the lack of success in Kamloops over the last few years. Ignorance is bliss. Colton Dach has no idea about futility in the building. Talyn Boyko too. The crushing setback during the 11 consecutive losses appeared to be the tie breaker game when the two teams were tied at the end of the 2018-2019 regular season. March 19, 2019 saw the Blazers beat the Rockets 5-1 on that night, with the home team exploding for four-third period goals which included two shorthanded in less than a two minute span. The Rockets have one - one player that remains on the roster from that fateful night. His name is Mark Liwiski.
• The Blazers and Rockets play such contrasting styles. That may explain why the Rockets are 3-0-0-0 in the seasonal series. The Blazers resemble a Supercar. They are flashy and fast. They catch your attention thanks to the top three scorers in the Western Conference. They have a world junior goalie with a team that's allowed the fewest goals against in the entire WHL. What's not to like? The Rockets, by contrast, play a physical style of game. Very physical, but the difference with being aggressive is playing within the parameters of the rules. Mallette and the leadership group have them playing that way. They have some flash and dash in their game, but they are like a reliable 4X4 pickup truck. A sturdy exterior, but it's what's under the hood, while concealed by the naked eye, that really counts. The rougher the terrain, the more they are likely to succeed.
• In a gutsy effort, it only seemed fitting that Turner McMillen had a significant role in the one goal win. McMillen, playing on the fourth line with Max Graham and 16 year-old Marcus Pacheco, had a glorious game. McMillen, a rookie in his own right, scored the go-ahead goal to give the Rockets a 3-2 lead and then muscled home the winner with 4:30 left on the clock. Pacheco had his first multiple point game of his young WHL career with two assists. The fourth line didn't sit idly by in the biggest road win of the season.
• Colton Dach has 5 goals against the Blazers in the seasonal series. Conversely, Blazers leading scorer Logan Stankoven hasn't figured in the scoring in any of the three games. 
• The Rockets scored 4 goals last night. Impressive, considering the Blazers allow the third fewest goals against - per game - at 2.00. Only Winnipeg and Everett allowed fewer goals per game entering Saturday's action.
• I thought the more the game became physical, the more a player like Noah Dorey stood out. While taking two penalties, playing in the trenches works right into his wheel house. The same holds true for Tyson Fiest and Jackson DeSouza. 
• Has the bar been raised with last night's win? In my eyes it has, but I'm guessing the coaching staff and players were thinking the bar was set that high before the season even started.