Rockets game notes vs. Blades

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play a rare game against the Saskatoon Blades. This is the one and only meeting of the season between the two teams. These two teams met once last season, in Saskatoon, in a Kelowna Rockets 5-1 win (December 17^th). Carter Rigby scored once and added two assists in the victory. Ryan Olsen, then a Blade, had an assist in a losing cause. The Blades last visited Kelowna on December 4/2010 in a 6-3 loss. Damon Severson, Mitchell Callahan and Shane McColgan each had 1+1=2 in the win. Ryan Olsen, again as a member of the Blades, had an assist in the setback. The Rockets enter tonight’s game riding a seven game home ice winning streak having out-scored the opposition 31-6. The Rockets have shut out the opposition in three of their last seven home games. Overall, the Rockets have three regulation losses in their last thirteen games (9-3-0-1) with setbacks to Tri City (3-2) twice by the same score and a 5-3 loss in Edmonton October 27^th. The Rockets have won six of their last eight games overall. The Rockets are in Everett on Sunday before hosting Tri City this Wednesday.   

Ollie beats the Goalie: Ryan Olsen leads the Rockets in goals with 12. The 18 year-old was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades this summer for forwards Shane McColgan and Jessey Astles. Olsen is two goals shy of his career best of 14 goals scored last season as a 17 year-old. Olsen was the Blades first round pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. Olsen has played just 20 games this season after serving a three game suspension earlier this season for a high hit in a game in Victoria in early October.        

This and That: The Rockets have led going into the third period in 13 of their last 15 games…The Rockets have fired 167 (42 shots per game) shots towards the opposition net in the last four games….The Rockets have allowed two power play goals against in their last eight games (27 for 29) and are top 5 in the league in penalty killing efficiency…..The Rockets have four power play goal in their last nine games (4 for 29 over that span)….The Rockets have thirteen wins in 23 games this season….The Rockets play 11 games in November, with eight of them on home ice. The three road games are in Tri City (Nov 16-17) and Everett (Nov 25)…Colton Sissons participated in the Subway Sup Series in Vancouver…In the Rockets 13 wins this season, Myles Bell has earned 24 points (8+16=24). Of the 60 goals scored by the team in those thirteen wins, Bell has been in on 24 of them….Bell has 12+20=32 after 23 games this season…J.T Barnett returned to the line-up last night after missing 21 games with a lower body injury….The Rockets have scored 62 goals in their last fifteen games…..Jordon Cooke was named the CHL/Vaughn Goaltender of the Week for October 22-28th. Cooke had two wins last week which included a shutout and a save percentage of .967…Ryan Olsen played in his 150^th career WHL game Nov 3^rd against visiting Prince George…Ryan Huska has 199 WHL regular season victories behind the Rockets bench…The Rockets are 8 and 2 after 10 home games this season…Madison Bowey (10), Mitch Wheaton (22) are rated among the top skaters in the WHL by NHL Central Scouting for June’s draft. Jackson Whistle is ranked 7^th among WHL goalies…Austin Glover (Team Western), Rourke Chartier (Team Western) and Riley Stadel (Team Pacific) will all play at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in late December in Quebec..The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 44-15 on home ice this season.