The Cure That Ails Ya

• The cure that ails the Kelowna Rockets came in the form of the Chilliwack Bruins Sunday night. The Bruins, riding a seven game losing streak, were ripe for the picking in the Rockets 4-3 shootout win. It wasn’t easy though as the Rockets saw a 2-0 lead evaporate as the Bruins scored 3 unanswered goal to take a 3-2 lead with 12 minutes left to play. It would take a solo effort from Luke Schenn to tie the game at three with a third period goal to send this game into overtime, and the eventual shootout.
• In the shootout Colin Long missed before Tyson Barrie scored to set the table for Cody Almond’s game winner. It marked the third straight time the Rockets won in a shootout. Here’s the audio of Almond’s game winner:http://www.am1150.ca/player/player?mediapath=&type=mp3&fi=files%2Fam1150%2Fsrimedia%2FR09_0414.MP3&nid=680452&
• Luke Schenn was the best Rocket. Sure Schenn scored a goal, but his defensive play was great, his passing was pin-point, and he played one of those games that have NHL scouts drooling. Why he was not named a star was beyond me.
• The Rockets are now 6-3-0-0 in 9 games against the Bruins this season.
• The win moves the Rockets within one point of Everett for 5th place in the Western Conference with three games to play. The Rockets host the Bruins Wednesday before a road date in Tri City Friday and a home engagement with Prince George Saturday night to conclude the regular season.
• NHL GM Dave Nonis joined me in the second intermission to talk about Schenn, Tyler Myers and about former Rockets defenseman Alex Edler. This is Nonis’s thoughts on Myers. “You know what; I’m really impressed with the way he gets around the ice. You look at some of the bigger players in this game and a lot of them have difficulty being fluid, and for a guy that big he is a very graceful skater. He can play the power play; he’s got some good stick skills and moves the puck well so their is a lot to like about him”. Here is the audio of the conversation I had with Nonis in its entirety.http://www.am1150.ca/player/player?mediapath=&type=mp3&fi=files%2Fam1150%2Fsrimedia%2FR09_0412.MP3&nid=680450&
• The Rockets played this game without Dylan Hood. Hood is attending a family matter back in Osoyoos.
• The Bruins held their year-end awards on the ice following the conclusion of last night’s game. It’s a different take on what the Vancouver Giants do by handing out their awards at the start of the final home game of the regular season.