Shorthanded unit shines bright in game three win

• The Kelowna Rockets penalty killing unit can take a bow. Without a shadow of a doubt its best single game performance of the season, the four man unit  - in two cases it was a three man unit - shut down the Seattle Thunderbirds on nine of ten power play chances in a 5-4 win. The Rockets took three consecutive penalties in the games first ten minutes which allowed the home team two-five on three chances. Instead of the T-Birds playing with the lead, something they haven't enjoyed the luxury of having this entire series, the Rockets found themselves up 2-0 after one period when it should have been the other way around.
• The Rockets showed the T-Birds how to score on the power play when they responded on their first chance of the game. Damon Severson's point shot was tipped by Ryan Olsen, who deflected it past Seattle starter Taran Kozun. Tyrell Goulbourne would score 24 seconds later by skating hard on left wing and wiring a shot past Kozun's stick side. 
• The T-Birds ended the night going 1 for 10 on the power play. Some of the penalties were justified while others were marginal. The fact that the visitors were able to win this game while playing 20 odd minutes shorthanded it pretty incredible. 
• The best pass of the game goes to Madison Bowey, who fired a puck from the side of his own net to an awaiting Justin Kirkland at the T-Birds blue line. Kirkland skated in all alone on Kozun and nicely tucked the puck five hole on the 19 year-old goaltender. At the time it made the score 5-2, but a late rally by the T-Birds had the Kirkland goal standing up as the game winner.
• I thought Jordon Cooke had his weakest showing of the series but still made timely saves, something Kozun has been unable to do. Cooke made a nice stop on Alexander Delnov in the first period when he was able to steal a puck away from Rockets d-man Riley Stadel at the T-Birds blue line. I think even Cooke will admit he should have had the Ethan Bear goal which made it 2-1 and would normally stop Justin Hickman's shot that made the score 5-3.
• Marek Tvrdon took a bad penalty 6 minutes into the third period when he was assessed a double minor for high sticking. But the 20 year-old also made two terrific passing plays on goals from Tyson Baillie and Madison Bowey. It was Tvrdon's best game of the series. When the dude wants to play he can make some spectacular plays.
• Seattle's Brandon Troock scored four goals in an opening round playoff series with  Everett. The Dallas Stars draft pick hasn't found the back of the net in the first three games.
• Revealing stat of the series. Of the Rockets 17 goals, ten have been scored in the first five minutes or the last five minutes of a period. 
• T-Birds Alexander Delnov has a goal in all three games in this series.
• The most interesting nugget I got out of T-Birds head coach Steve Konowalchuk during our pre-game interview was he did not want to mention which players needed to be better in order for his team to get back in the series. Instead he preferred to simply say his offensive players need to be better. 
• A solid crowd Tuesday night at ShoWare Center. The 2 for 1 promotion brought out over 5 thousand fans who were entertained until the final buzzer sounded. They saw the visitors build up a 4-1 third period lead before the home team battled back with three goals in the final frame. 
• The Rockets are now 7 and 1 in the post season.
• If you would have told me at the start of this series that the Rockets would have a 3-0 lead after the first three games I would have said you were crazy. 
• The team is one win away from advancing to the third round. Game four is tonight at ShoWare Centre with game five set for Friday back at Prospera Place.      

Game Day!

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Seattle Thunderbirds in game three of a best of seven Western Conference semi final series. The Rockets have a 2-0 lead in the series after a 6-2 win in game one and a 6-3 victory in game two. Game three is tonight with game four tomorrow night again at ShoWare Centre. These two teams met in an epic seven game opening round playoff series in 2013 where the T-Birds won the first three games before the Rockets rallied back to win four straight to advance to round two. Five of the seven games were decided in overtime. This season the two teams met four times with both sporting records of 2-1-0-1. The Rockets out-scored the T-Birds 15-14 in the four games. Two of the regular season games were decided in the shootout. These two teams are meeting for the 6^th time in the playoffs. The two teams have met in 2013, 2008, 2005, 2003 and 2001. The Rockets advanced to the second round for the third time in the last four years with a five game series win over the Tri City Americans.       

Game Two Tidbits: Nick Merkley scored his first career WHL playoff goal in game two. It was Merkley’s first goal in 14 playoff games. In the 2013 playoffs, Merkley had three points in 7 games. In this year’s playoffs the 16 year-old has 10 points in 7 games…Riley Stadel opened the scoring in game two. It was the 17 year-olds first goal in 52 games. Stadel’s last goal was in Prince Albert in mid December…Tyrell Goulbourne scored in game two. It was his second career playoff goal. Goulbourne’s other playoff goal came against the T-Birds – in Seattle – last season in game four…The Rockets were out-shot 39-30 in game two. It marked the first time in this year’s playoffs that they were out-shot….The Rockets scored three goals in the second period in game two. The team now has five goals in the second period in the series.        

Game One Tidbits: Nine Rockets found the score sheet in game one…Nick Merkley had two assists. The 16 year-old has yet to find the net in post season. Merkley has ten career assists in 13 playoff games…Cole Linaker scored once in game #1’s 6-2 win. That gives the 18 year-old two goals in the 2014 post season. In his rookie campaign, Linaker had just two goals in 37 regular season games during the 2012-2013 season…Jordon Cooke picked up his 5^th win of the playoffs with a 23 saves performance. Cooke has one more win than the four he recorded during the 2013 post season…The Rockets were 3 for 6 on the power play in game one. That gives the Rockets 9 power play goals in the playoffs, two more than the seven they manufactured in last year’s post season…Three defenceman lead the Rockets in +/-. Damon Severson, Mitch Wheaton and Madison Bowey are all +4…Goaltender Jordon Cooke earned an assist in game one…The Rockets took four penalties in game one. The T-Birds took 7.
 

This and That: Damon Severson has 3+6=9 in seven games. Severson had 1+9=10 in 11 playoff games…Cole Linaker is stepping up his play. Linaker has 3+3=6 in seven games. In the 2013 playoffs, the 18 year-old had 3+2=5 in 11 games…The Rockets have allowed 8 goals in five home playoff games. That is an average of 1.6 goals against in the 2014 post season…During the regular season the Rockets d-core was a combined +213. The T-Birds d-score was a combined +5….Defenceman Madison Bowey signed a three year entry level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals last Wednesday. The 18 year-old was chosen in the second round of the 2013 draft – 53^rd overall…If this series goes a full seven games, it will be played over 13 nights…Tyrell Goulbourne scored 17 times this season. Of those 17 goals, three of them came against the T-Birds…The Rockets have killed off 21 of its last 22  shorthanded situations in this year’s playoffs.…The Rockets have a power play goal in all seven playoff games…The Kelowna Rockets are playing their 197^th playoff game tonight…This is the 36^th playoff series the Rockets have been involved in since relocating from Tacoma for the start of the 1995-96 season…The Western Hockey League announced this week that Jordon Cooke has been named the VAUGHN WHL Goaltender of the Month for March, 2014.  It is the second time this season that Cooke has been named VAUGHN WHL Goaltender of the Month, having earned the honor for September/October as well….Damon Severson is the WHL Player of the Week. Severson had three goals and four assists with a +3 rating in two games last week.

Who’s Hot: Damon Severson has 3+4=7 in the first two games of this series…Marek Tvrdon has points in six of the seven games in this year’s playoffs (4+3=7)…Rourke Chartier is riding a six game point streak. Chartier has 4+4=8 over that stretch….Tyson Baillie had 8 playoff goals in 2013…Baillie had seven goals in seven games in last year’s opening round series with the T-Birds including a hat trick in game seven…Jordon Cooke is 6 and 1 in this year’s playoffs with a goals against average of 2.01 and a save percentage of .931.   

Cooke carrying strong play into playoffs

• Jordon Cooke was named the Kelowna Rockets regular season MVP. The 20 year-old is showing in the 2014 playoffs exactly why. Cooke made no less than six clutch saves in helping his team earn a 6-3 win Saturday night over the Seattle Thunderbirds and in the process has his team up two games to none in a best of seven Western Conference semi final series. Cooke made 16 saves in the first period alone in arguably the Rockets worst period of the series and the T-Birds best. Fortunately, because of Cooke's strong play, the home team was able to skate to the dressing room in a 2-2 tie. 
• Cooke's best saves came against T-Birds forward Sam McKechnie, not once but twice. Cooke made a tremendous stop off the 19 year-old in the first period and then a breakaway save later in the game. The Leduc Alberta resident also stopped 16 year-old Seattle forward Mathew Barzal on a great scoring chance early in the third period. Again, timely saves by Cooke has been the story of his season, not only in the regular season but now in the playoffs. Simply put, Cooke has been better than Seattle goaltender Taran Kozun and is a big reason why the series is slanted in Kelowna'a favour.
• Kozun was better in game two than he was in a game one 6-2 loss. The Seattle goaltender made some solid stops and didn't receive much puck luck in Saturday's setback. The Rourke Chartier goal to make the score 5-2 would be a good example of that. But Kozun hasn't been lights out and his numbers indicate that. In the first two games of this series the 19 year-old has a goals against average of 5.50 and a save percentage of .831. Cooke's numbers in the first two games include a goals against average of 2.50 and a save percentage of .922.
• I thought the T-Birds played a real good game. They were clearly the better team in the first period and may have had the slight edge in the third. But that said, they still lost at the end of the night which must be deflating. 
• Riley Stadel forgot how to celebrate after opening the scoring eight minutes into the game. Stadel went hard to the net on a two-on-one with Carter Rigby and scored his first career playoff goal.  No celebration for Stadel though. It was his first in 42 games.   
• A solid game for Carter Rigby. A two assists effort and physical play contributed to a great effort by the 19 year-old forward. Rigby realizes that if he wants ice time he has to play a physical game. By his comments on our post game show, my feeling is he doesn't believe he needs to be as physical to be a force on the ice. Maybe I am reading him wrong? Honestly, if he doesn't use that large frame to his advantage he just isn't anywhere near the player he needs to be at this level. I like the fact he is following the lead of Coach Huska though. Rigby needs to do what is best for the team. When the Rockets won a WHL championship in 2009, Brandon McMillan had to play defence instead of forward. Did he like the move back to the blue line? Probably not, but he was willing to do whatever it took to win. Did it hurt McMillan's development in the long run? The dude is playing in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes.  
• Nick Merkley helped the Rockets to a 2-0 lead courtesy of his first career WHL playoff goal. Merkley was set up wonderfully on a back door pass from captain Madison Bowey. Merkley now has a goal and 12 assists in 14 career playoff games. 
• Alexander Delnov loves Kelowna. The T-Birds forward has four goals at Prospera Place this season. The Russian had two goals in two stops in Kelowna during the regular season and scored once in game one and once in game two.
• The T-Birds sat out 19 year-old Jaimen Yakubowski, who apparently was injured in game one. In his place the coaches elected to go with 16 year-old Lane Pederson who I thought had a solid game. At the end of the night he was a -2 but created some good things in the offensive zone.  
• The Rockets are keying on T-Birds d-man Shea Theodore and it is paying off. The T-Birds leading scorer during the regular season is being bumped every time he touches the puck and that extra attention to physical play on him will pay off over the course of a playoff series. While Theodore was better than he was in game one, the Anaheim Ducks first rounder has just one assist. 
• The biggest surprise for me in the first two games is the Rockets physical play. I thought the T-Birds would dictate the physical play but the home team has responded in a big way. Don't get me wrong, the T-Birds are playing physical but the Rockets are giving as much as they are receiving. The T-Birds pushed around the Rockets in last years playoff series but that hasn't been the case in this best of seven.  
• For the Rockets to have success in the next two games in this series, two players will have to find their name prominently on the score sheet. Tyson Baillie has no points in this series and 20 year-old Marek Tvrdon has just a secondary assist.    
• Regina Pats GM Chad Lang took in the game. 
• Former T-Birds head coach Rob Sumner was also spotted in the press box. Sumner is a scout with the NHL's Calgary Flames. 

Rockets/T-Birds game notes

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets host the Seattle Thunderbirds in game two of this best of seven Western Conference semi final series. Thursday night the Rockets were a 6-2 winner. Damon Severson scored twice and added two assists in the win. Madison Bowey, Rourke Chartier, Ryan Olsen and Cole Linaker scored in the team’s fifth win of the post season in six games. The Rockets were 3 for 6 on the power play while Jordon Cooke made 25 saves. Following this evenings game the next two will be played in Seattle/Kent this upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday. These two teams met in an epic seven game opening round playoff series in 2013 where the T-Birds won the first three games before the Rockets rallied back to win four straight to advance to round two. Five of the seven games were decided in overtime. This season the two teams met four times with both sporting records of 2-1-0-1. The Rockets out-scored the T-Birds 15-14 in the four games. Two of the regular season games were decided in the shootout. These two teams are meeting for the 6^th time in the playoffs. The two teams have met in 2013, 2008, 2005, 2003 and 2001. The Rockets advanced to the second round for the third time in the last four years with a five game series win over the Tri City Americans.       

Game One Tidbits: Nine Rockets found the score sheet in game one…Nick Merkley had two assists. The 16 year-old has yet to find the net in post season. Merkley has ten career assists in 13 playoff games…Cole Linaker scored once in game #1’s 6-2 win. That gives the 18 year-old two goals in the 2014 post season. In his rookie campaign, Linaker had just two goals in 37 regular season games during the 2012-2013 season…Jordon Cooke picked up his 5^th win of the playoffs with a 23 saves performance. Cooke has one more win than the four he recorded during the 2013 post season…The Rockets were 3 for 6 on the power play in game one. That gives the Rockets 9 power play goals in the playoffs, two more than the seven they manufactured in last year’s post season…Three defenceman lead the Rockets in +/-. Damon Severson, Mitch Wheaton and Madison Bowey are all +4…Goaltender Jordon Cooke earned an assist in game one…The Rockets took four penalties in game one. The T-Birds took 7.
 

This and That: Damon Severson has never had a four point game. But in saying that, the 19 year-old has had a 5 point game (0+5=5) in a regular season game against Vancouver on October 20/2011….The Rockets have allowed 5 goals in four home playoff games. That is an average of 1.25 goals against in the 2014 post season…The Rockets haven’t played a playoff game on April 5^th since the 2003 post season in a 5-1 home ice win against Spokane in game two of a second round series. The Rockets out-shot the Chiefs 56-11…During the regular season the Rockets d-score was a combined +213. The T-Birds d-score was a combined +5….Defenceman Madison Bowey signed a three year entry level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals on Wednesday. The 18 year-old was chosen in the second round of the 2013 draft – 53^rd overall…If this series goes a full seven games, it will be played over 13 nights…Tyrell Goulbourne scored 17 times this season. Of those 17 goals, three of them came against the T-Birds…The Rockets have killed off 19 of its last 20  shorthanded situations in this year’s playoffs.…The Rockets have a power play goal in all six playoff games…The Kelowna Rockets are playing their 196^th playoff game tonight…This is the 36^th playoff series the Rockets have been involved in since relocating from Tacoma for the start of the 1995-96 season…The Western Hockey League announced this week that Jordon Cooke has been named the VAUGHN WHL Goaltender of the Month for March, 2014.  It is the second time this season that Cooke has been named VAUGHN WHL Goaltender of the Month, having earned the honor for September/October as well.   

Who’s Hot: Marek Tvrdon had his five game playoff point streak snapped in game one…Rourke Chartier is riding a five game point streak. Chartier has 3+4=7 over that stretch….Tyson Baillie had 8 playoff goals in 2013…Baillie had seven goals in seven games in last year’s opening round series with the T-Birds including a hat trick in game seven…Jordon Cooke is 5 and 1 in this year’s playoffs with a goals against average of 2.01 and a save percentage of .933.   

Local businesses supporting Rockets with signage

This sign along Highway 97

This sign on Springfield Road.

Super 8 on Harvey

More signage on Harvey

The Husky on Gordon in the Mission

Severson serves notice he's ready to make impact

Damon Severson - Shoot the Breeze Photography

• Ryan Huska called it Damon Severson's best game ever in a Kelowna Rockets uniform. The 19 year-old New Jersey Devils draft pick scored twice and added two assists leading his team to a 6-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds in game one of the Western Conference semi final series. Severson scored with 18 seconds left in the first period to give his team a 3-1 lead and then scored 24 seconds into the third period to thwart any T-Birds rally. Severson's two goals were his first of the 2014 playoffs. We shouldn't be surprised at the Melville Saskatchewan resident's prowess in the offensive zone though. Severson collecting 11 points in 11 playoff games in 2013.
• It looked like the tone was going to be set 10 seconds into the game when T-Birds Jaimen Yakubowski hit Rockets captain Madison Bowey hard along the end boards. Bowey didn't like the hit and took a retaliatory penalty. Fortunately the Rockets would kill off that penalty and would score one second after the 18 year-old came out of the penalty box as Cole Linaker slammed home a rebound on a glorious chance by line-mate Tyrell Goulbourne.   
• I thought Goulbourne had an effective game. The 19 year-old used his speed to his advantage and created some good plays in the offensive zone. Goulbourne also showed good restraint when he could have fought T-Birds Mitch Elliott, who took a boarding minor. Instead the Rockets scored on the power play to take a 3-1 lead. It is that type of smart hockey that allows teams to make long runs in the playoffs.
• The Rockets were 3 for 6 on the power play and that is without injured forward Myles Bell. Rourke Chartier, Damon Severson and Ryan Olsen all found the net with the man advantage. Olsen's goal was a never give up play. The 19 year-old was stopped by T-Birds goaltender Taran Kozun but followed up with another shot that beat the veteran netminder to the glove hand side to make the score 4-2.  
• Evan Wardley was fortunate to get away with a two minute minor for a hit to the head after the Seattle d-man caught Rockets forward Tyson Baillie with an elbow to the side of the jaw. The second period hit, which the league claims it wants to eliminate, resulted in the Rockets scoring on the power play. Wardley has been suspended twice this season. He served two games for boarding in a game against Kamloops in late December and served four games for a charging major against Portland on November 1st.     
• Marek Tvrdon had his 5 game playoff point streak snapped.
• I thought T-Birds goaltender Taran Kozun had a rough game. I didn't think he made a solid stop outside of Carter Rigby's breakaway attempt early in the third period. Kozun doesn't have good memories at Prospera Place after being pulled 27 minutes into a 7-3 regular season loss to the Rockets back on February 10th.      
• How about Jordon Cooke's breakaway save on Sam McKechnie in the second period? It is all about timely saves after Madison Bowey made a blind cross ice pass at the T-Birds blue line which allowed McKenzie to skate in all alone on the Rockets goaltender. 
• Jesse Lees made his 2014 playoff debut Thursday night and played well. The 18 year-old, playing as a forward, was strong along the wall and made a good effort into getting into shooting lanes to block shots. To be honest, I like him more as a forward than a d-man. The nice part of it is the Rockets can use him at both ends.
• Putting up 6 goals in the playoffs against the T-Birds is rare. In a 2005 second round series, the Rockets were a 7-0 winner in Seattle with Derek Yeomans earning the shutout. 
• Prince George Cougars GM Dallas Thompson and Spokane Chiefs GM Tim Speltz took in last nights game. 
• Game two is Saturday night at Prospera Place with games three and four next Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle.

Things that make me go hmm....

• While the perception is the Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds have essentially the same rosters in place from last years opening round series, that simply isn't the case. The T-Birds have lost 12 players that participated in that game seven overtime thriller from one year ago. The Rockets by comparison have lost four players from the roster that beat the T-Birds in sudden death. Zach Franko, Dylen McKinlay, Henrik Nyberg and Cody Fowlie are no longer with the team. 
• I wonder how many meals T-Birds captain Justin Hickman will eat at home with the first two games played over three nights here in Kelowna. You would think the Kelowna resident would go for one visit and get in one home cooked meal? How strange it must be to sleep in a hotel in your own home town. 
• Did you know the first ever game the Tacoma Rockets/Kelowna Rockets organization ever played was against the Seattle Thunderbirds? It was October 11, 1991. The crowds was in and around 13 thousand. Ownership was licking their chops. The next night the crowd was about 35 hundred.  
• T-Birds d-man Ethan Bear played for Rockets assistant coach Dan Lambert at the Under 17's for Team West at Christmas.  
• The Rockets have the last pick in the opening round in May's 2014 WHL bantam draft. After that the team won't have a selection until the fourth round. The Rockets 2nd round pick is Vancouver's in the Marek Tvrdon deal and the third rounder is also the Giants in the Jackson Whistle trade.  
• Is Mitch Elliott good at basketball? The guy is 6 foot 6. Speaking of Elliott, how much does he rub in the fact he spends his winters down in Kent when his friends are freezing off their mufflers in Prince George?
• When the T-Birds score, the crowd chants, "Portland sucks". I guess if you played one team 12 times a season you would despise them too.          
• If you look back to the last 12 playoff games between the Rockets and T-Birds dating back to 2008, of the 12 games, seven have gone into overtime. Five of the seven games last year went into extra time while two of the seven in 2008 went to the extra session.
• I've been watching the T-Birds video interviews that they post on their website after home games. Does the girl holding the T-Birds mic ever ask a question?
• Does Jaimen Yakubowski and Sam McKechnie feel like they have hit the lottery after being traded from Lethbridge to Seattle? The Hurricanes season has long ended and the T-Birds are playing in early April.
• Why isn't Roberts Lipsberg's drafted by an NHL team. Back to back 30 goal seasons. Somebody should roll the dice on this guy.      
• The role of the goal judge behind the net. Is it really necessary with the use of video? Or does it remain in place out of tradition and the fact it signals the fans to jump in the air when the puck enters the net?
• Did you know that Thom Beuning - the Seattle Thunderbirds radio broadcaster - was the Rockets radio broadcaster in the final season they played in Tacoma before leaving following the 1994-95 season?
• A sure sign its spring. The players are wearing shorts to the rink on an off day. I expect the officials to warm up outside as the temperatures advance up the thermometer in the next week.
• Speaking of the 2008 playoff series with the Rockets and T-Birds, some old audio from that best of seven below this post.

Old school audio

Tyson Baillie reflects on game 7 and looks ahead

Cole Martin chimes in on T-Birds playoff series

Rockets-T-Birds Preview

Shoot the Breeze Photography

Series Preview: The Kelowna Rockets host the Seattle Thunderbirds in game one of this best of seven Western Conference semi final series. Game two is Saturday night before games three and four are back in Kent/Seattle next Tuesday and Wednesday night. Game five is next Friday in Kelowna. These two teams met in an epic seven game opening round playoff series in 2013 where the T-Birds won the first three games before the Rockets rallied back to win four straight to advance to round two. Five of the seven games were decided in overtime. This season the two teams met four times with both sporting records of 2-1-0-1. The Rockets out-scored the T-Birds 15-14 in the four games. Two of the regular season games were decided in the shootout. These two teams are meeting for the 6^th time in the playoffs. The two teams have met in 2013, 2008, 2005, 2003 and 2001. The Rockets advanced to the second round for the third straight year with a five game series win over the Tri City Americans.       

Seasonal Series Scoring:

Period:    1    2     3   SO   Total

Rockets:   5    6     3     1      15

T-Birds:    1    4     8     1      14

• The Rockets were 5 for 22 on the power play in the four game seasonal series (22.7%). The T-Birds were 5 for 21 (23.8%) with the extra man. The Rockets out-shot Seattle in three of the four games.  

This and That: Marek Tvrdon has four goals in his last six regular season games against the Seattle Thunderbirds…Tvrdon had 1+2=3 in Seattle as a member of the Giants in the 2011-2012 season…If this series goes a full seven games, it will be played over 13 nights…Tyrell Goulbourne scored 17 times this season. Of those 17 goals, three of them came against the T-Birds…Jordon Cooke played in three of the four games against Seattle in the seasonal series…The Rockets have killed off 16 of its last 17 shorthanded situations in this year’s playoffs.…The Rockets out-shot the Tri City Americans in all five games in an opening round playoff series….The Rockets had a power play goal in all five games in round one…. The Kelowna Rockets are playing their 195^th playoff game tonight…This is the 35^th playoff series the Rockets have been involved in since relocating from Tacoma for the start of the 1995-96 season…Seattle coach Steve Konowalchuk was a 3^rd round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1991. The 41 year-old played 790 games in the NHL with the Capitals and Colorado….Konowalchuk and Rockets assistant coach Dan Lambert have something in common. Both were former teammates of Joe Sakic. Lambert played with Sakic in junior and with the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques while Konowalchuk played two seasons with Sakic in Colorado in 2003-2004 and again in 2005-2006…   

Who’s Hot: Marek Tvrdon is riding a five game playoff point streak. If you include the regular season, the 20 year-old is on an 8 game points streak (4+6=10)…Tvrdon has 12 points (7+5=12) in 11 career WHL playoff games….Rourke Chartier has points in nine of his last ten games dating back to the regular season. The 17 year-old had points in four of five games in round one against Tri City including a two goal game in game one…Tyson Baillie had 8 playoff goals in 2013…Baillie had seven goals in seven games in last year’s opening round series with the T-Birds including a hat trick in game seven…Jordon Cooke is 4 and 1 in this year’s playoffs with a goals against average of 2.01 and a save percentage of .935.