'Whistle' while you work

• Jackson Whistle has the Prince George Cougars number. The 17 year-old goaltender made 21 saves Saturday night in the Kelowna Rockets 5-0 win over their BC Division cousins. Whistle had similar success against the Cougars last season when he made 19 saves a member of the Vancouver Giants in a 3-0 shutout win. That win was Whistles first as a WHL goaltender and first shutout of what appears to be a promising junior career. Last night against the Cougars, Whistle was steady when called upon in facing just 21 shots. His best save came against Cougars forward Troy Bourke on a first period breakaway, a shot that he calmly turned aside with his blocker. Whistle was pressed into duty after Jordon Cooke suffered an upper body injury in practice earlier in the week. Whistle now has a goals against average of 0.82 and a save percentage of .971. Oh ya, he is also 3 and 0.
• The Rockets haven't surrendered a goal in 175 minutes and 21 seconds (thank you Gord McGarva for your math). After back-to-back shutouts, Jordon Cooke and Jackson Whistle haven't allowed a goal since the first period of a win in Calgary back on October 28th.  The last time the Rockets recorded back-to-back shutouts at home was in March of  2010, with a 5-0 win over Seattle and a 3-0 whitewash of Vancouver.
• The line that impressed me the most last night consisted of Tyson Baillie, Colton Heffley and Cody Fowlie.  Those three worked their tales off with the best goal of the game coming late in the second period when Baillie was involved in a battle for the puck in the corner. Baillie got it to Heffley, who found Fowlie in the slot for a quick one timer. The goal made the score 3-0 and came just moments after the Rockets killed off a 5 on 3 Cougars power play. That goal, essentially put the game away. The Rockets added two-third period goals and cruised to the win.
• I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it, but since Cody Fowlie got his long hair cut considerably shorter, he's been scoring. Since the trim, the about to be 20 year-old has 3 goals and one assists in his last two games. Fowlie turned 20 tomorrow. Seriously, the haircut has nothing to do with it...or does it?
• While Fowlie was seen scoring in back-to-back games, so was Tyrell Goulbourne. For a second straight game, the 18 year-old scored the game winner. 
• While he was left of the three stars, Colton Heffley had a strong game as previously mentioned. Heffley earned three assists, his first three point game of his WHL career. Heffley was physical, separating the opposition from the puck and then making a play with it. 
• It was a night of first as rookie Mitch Wheaton registered his first WHL fight against Cougars d-man Marc McNulty. Two players that stand about 6 foot 5 traded punches.  It wasn't poetry in motion, but it was nice to see Wheaton step outside his comfort zone.  
• The Rockets have won 10 games at the 1/4 mark of the season. Yep, 18 games are in the  book. It took the Rockets 25 games last season to win their 10th. 
• Now riding a season high three game winning streak (wins over Calgary, Kamloops, PG) the Rockets host Edmonton Wednesday and Red Deer Friday night. 
• We are at the 1/4 point of the season and I will grade the players after the first 18 games in a post tomorrow. Don't worry. Everyone in my class passes.