Twenty Minutes Won't Cut It

• A strong 20 minutes just won't cut it against the top team's in the WHL. The Kelowna Rockets found that out the hard way in a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Giants Wednesday night. The Rockets looked good scoring the opening goal just 4 minutes into the game and shared the play through the first period, but the Giants found a second gear and initiated the play for the final 40 minutes moving into a tie with Tri City for first place in the overall standings.
• The loss moves the Rockets 5 points back of Seattle for 4th place in the Western Conference. Anything can happen in the Rockets final 5 games, but the loss combined with the T-Birds 5-2 win in Prince George really puts a damper on Kelowna having home ice advantage in the opening round. If the Rockets aren't careful they will be facing Spokane in round one of the playoffs. For that to happen the Rockets will have to be the 6th seed in the conference.
• The Rockets have now lost 4 straight games on home ice. It's the teams longest home ice losing streak of the season. The Rockets were winless in 4 games January 18th to the 31st of last season. The Rockets have lost 6 of their last 8 games at Prospera Place.
• The best two players on the ice for the Rockets was goaltender Kristofer Westblom and defenseman Luke Schenn. Don't blame Westblom for any of the 4 goals he allowed while Schenn showed some good composure with the puck despite a relentless forecheck by the Giants in the final 40 minutes.
• The majority of the Rockets shots were from the outside. Two missed chances on in-tight chances may have made a difference in this one. Tyson Barrie had a glorious chance in the high slot with a slap shot that somehow missed the net, and then forward Kyle St. Denis missed a gorgeous chance in the slot with his team trailing 3-1, but the shot was driven firmly into the pads of Giants goaltender Tyson Sexsmith.
• WHL Commissioner Ron Robison took in Wednesday's game. It's the first time I've seen Robison this season. The Commish was having dinner with the Kal Tire people.
• In a previous blog entry I mentioned a women in Portland that I noticed Sunday wearing a Hawks jersey with the name Finley on the back. That jersey was in reference to Kelowna Rockets assistant coach Jeff Finley, who played his junior in Portland in the mid 80's. That women - Shannon Klug - is a reader of this blog and e-mailed me a picture of a very young Jeff Finley and herself in his days as a player.
• The next photo of that young fan is one of her and Finley over 20 years later. The pic was taken when the Rockets were in Portland in November. I can't decide if Shannon is cuter as a kid or as an adult? Thanks again Shannon for sending the photo's. Your story of a junior player making an impact on your life as a young kid was special.