Rockets game notes vs. Americans

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play their 43^rd game of the season tonight against the visiting Tri City Americans. These two teams are meeting for the 4^th and final time this season. The Rockets are 1-2-0-0 in the three meetings including a 3-2 Kelowna win at Prospera Place back on November 28^th. All three games in the seasonal series have ended 3-2 which means all three games have been decided by a single goal. The Rockets have out-shot the Americans 110-74 in the three games.  The Rockets look for their 14^th win in 15 games tonight. Overall, the Rockets have five regulation losses in their last 32 games (26-5-0-1) with setbacks to Tri City (twice), Edmonton, Seattle and Calgary. The Rockets have won 23 of their last twenty-seven (23-4-0-0) games overall. The Rockets enter tonight’s game riding a 16 game home ice winning streak. The only two teams to beat the Rockets on home ice this season are Kamloops and Spokane. The Rockets play 14 games in January, with 8 of those on home ice. The Rockets travel to Vancouver tomorrow night before welcoming Spokane next Wednesday. Overall, the Rockets have won seven straight games, having out-scored the opposition 40-16. The team’s power play over that stretch is running at 37% (11 for 30).           

Quickest to 30 wins: This year’s team won their 30^th game in 42 attempts. That breaks the previous mark of 30 wins in 43 games set by the Memorial Cup championship team in 2003-2004. The 2002-2003 team which won 51 times, earned their 30 victories in 47 games.  

This and That: The Rockets 30 wins this season are one shy of the 31 victories from all of last season….Five of the Rockets 10 losses this season have been decided by a single goal… Jordon Cooke has been named the WHL Goaltender of the Month for December. Cooke was 6-0-0-0 and posted a goals against average of 2.00. Cooke has won his last 14 games. No Kelowna Rockets goaltender has ever won 14 straight games. Kelly Guard won 10 straight games – four different times between 2002 and 2004….The Rockets entered the CHL Top 10 rankings this week at number 5….Damon Severson has 3+18=21 in his last 13 games. Severson had just 11 points through his first 28 regular season games…Since a 3-0 win over the Kamloops Blazers November 1^st the Rockets are 21-4-0-0….The Rockets are 30-10-1-1 after 42 games this season.…Madison Bowey was named to the roster for the upcoming CHL-NHL Top Prospects game. Last season two members of the organization participated in the game. Damon Severson and Colton Sissons showcased their skills and were both 2^nd round draft picks this summer by New Jersey and Nashville…The Rockets 16 game home ice winning streak is 2 wins shy of the 18 straight wins in 2002-2003 season…The Tacoma Rockets won 24 straight home games….Myles Bell and Dylen McKinlay are the only two Rockets to play in every game this season…The Rockets have led going into the third period in 26 of their last 33 games with two games being tied heading into the final frame.…The Rockets have allowed 16 power play goals against in their last twenty-seven games….The Rockets have 28 power play goal in their last 33 games (28 for 109 over that span – 26 %)…..In the Rockets 30 wins, Myles Bell as earned 50 points (22+28=50). Of the 152 goals scored by the team in those 30 games, Bell has been in on 50 of them (33%)…The Rockets have scored 158 goals in their last 34 games (average 4.6)....Ryan Huska recorded his 200^th WHL regular season victory November 24^th against the visiting Saskatoon Blades…The Rockets are 17 and 2 after 19 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…The Rockets have out-scored the opposition 94-35 on home ice this season…The Rockets have scored the second most goals in the WHL (182)….Zach Franko has eleven more points (509) than the 39 he put up all of last season. Franko had a career high 53 points (22+31=53) in his rookie season in 2010-2011...J.T Barnett has 8+4=12 in 21 games with the Rockets…Colton Sissons has goals in four of his last five games….Dylen McKinlay has three shorthanded goals, tied for the WHL lead in that category….Since relocating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-96 season, the Rockets have picked up 657 wins over the last 19 seasons…Since entering the WHL in 1991, the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets have scored 4 thousand 515 goals (4,515)…Zach Franko has 50 points this season. Twenty-eight (28) have been registered on the road with 22 coming on home ice…Jordon Cooke’s 21 wins is two shy of the league lead…The Rockets have participated in one shootout game this season. Only Portland has played in fewer (zero). Last season the Rockets were involved in a league high 15…   

Focusing on Myles Bell: Myles Bell (27) is two shy of the league lead in goals…Bell has just four of his 27 goals on the power play this season. Of Bell’s 60 points, only 18 have been collected on the power play…Five of Bell’s six-two goal games have been registered at Prospera Place…Of Bell’s 27 goals, 14 have been scored on home ice…Bell has 60 points. Thirty-three (33) of those 60 have been registered on the road.               

 

Who’s Hot: Myles Bell has 9+6=15 in his last ten games…Colton Sissons is riding a career high 12 game point streak (5+9=14). Ryan Olsen has 3+12=15 in his last eleven games… Zach Franko has 7+16=23 in his last fourteen games…..Damon Severson has points in twelve of his last thirteen games (3+18=21.)…Since returning from injury December 27^th, MacKenzie Johnston is a +13 in his last seven games.