Power Play To Blame In Playoff Elimination

• The Kelowna Rockets can only blame their power play – or lack thereof - for their demise in game seven. The Rockets were given eight power play chances on the night, but were unable to convert. Those power play chances included a 5 on 3 in the second period when the score was 3-1 Seattle, but they generated just a single shot on goal. Even a full 4 minute man advantage in the third period saw the Rockets generate few if any scoring chances. How bad was the power play? The game winning goal was scored shorthanded. The Rockets gave up two shorthanded goals in the series, one to Greg Scott, the other to Lindsay Nielson in game seven.
• What makes the game seven loss so disheartening was the fact that few Rockets showed up in this one. Luke Schenn was by far the best Rocket, and did everything in his power to generate some type of offense from the back end. Schenn had in the neighborhood of five shots on goal, a large sum for a player who is considered as a defensive defenseman.
• If NHL scouts had questions about Luke Schenn, all were answered in this series. Schenn logged a ton of ice time and appeared to get better as playoffs went on. I knew Schenn was good, but I was even at awe over his play, and I watched him 64 times this season.
• Neither team had their ‘A’ game in this one. My belief is the Rockets struggled so much to find their game that the T-Birds only had to be marginally better. Seattle managed just 19 shots on goal, which tells you they were opportunistic, but they didn’t create an abundance of scoring chances. In some respects how could the T-Birds create any offense when they were penalized as many times as they were?
• Brady Leavold’s strong play this season and in the playoffs has him heading immediately to pro hockey. Leavold has been called up by the East Coast Hockey League’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Leavold left for Victoria immediately after last night’s game with his father Brian rather than return to Kelowna with the team. Leavold scored a team high 6 goals in the playoffs.
  
• Leavold scored 33 goals for the Rockets in his overage season. Leavold had 27 goals during the regular season and 6 in the playoffs.
• T-Birds Bud Holloway is a class act. The Courier’s Doyle Potenteau and I arrive at the KeyArena two hours ahead of time and Holloway is driving shot-gun with Sena Acolatse behind the wheel. Holloway doesn’t just blow by us with an ‘I’m too cool for school’ attitude. Holloway instead has a friendly wave for us as he drives by. It’s a small gesture that doesn’t go unnoticed.
• You either build greater relationships with the opposition coach or your disdain for one another grows in a seven game series. I have a greater appreciation for T-Birds head skipper Rob Sumner after this one. Sumner was extremely accessible in the series and was a pleasure to visit with. Sumner and I spoke off the record many times during the series, and that honest and open approach from both sides only builds relationships. While I look through Kelowna Rockets glasses that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the opposition coaches take on the game and the strengths of his hockey club.
• How wacky was this series? The road team won the first four games before the home team won the final three games.
• The Rockets out-shot the T-Birds in the third period in all seven games.
• The loss brought to the end the junior careers of 20 year-olds Brady Leavold. James McEwan and Kristofer Westblom. I will share my thoughts on those three players in a later post.
• Sure the Rockets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but this seven game series was invaluable for the second youngest team in the WHL. This team learned what it takes to open a playoff series on the road, win on the road, lose an overtime playoff game, win an overtime playoff game and play in a game seven. Next year this team has no excuses in the playoffs. Been there done that.
• Look for two Rockets to be named to the Canadian Under-18 team today.