Ringing in the new year with a ring-a-ding-dong-dandy!

A sold out Moda Center

• If you are a Kelowna Rockets fan, your team rang in the new year the right way Tuesday night in Portland. If you are a Winterhawks fan, like a loud mouthed guest at a New Years Eve party that is as drunk as a skunk, you just wanted them to leave. The Rockets scored early and often in a convincing 9-3 win last night at Moda Center. Madison Bowey, the games 1st star, scored once and added three assists. Bowey's team scored three times in the first, second and third periods to extend their winning streak to a team record 15th game. 
• The Rockets start was the key in the lopsided win. The first five minutes was played exclusively inside the Winterhawks zone. Have you heard the coaches using the term. 'coming in waves'? The Rockets did that with line after line buzzing inside the attacking zone. Carter Rigby would score less than two minutes into the game off a beautiful feed from Rourke Charter and the visitors were off to the races.   
• Eleven of the Rockets 18 skaters registered a  point. Chartier, who was quieter than a field mouse in October (no points in 10 games), had a career high four point game. Chartier now has five goals in his last seven games and 12 points in his last ten games.        
• Tyrell Goulbourne shouldn't be complaining about playing on a line with Myles Bell and Tyson Baillie. Goulbourne has points in five of his last six games and collected a goal and two assists in the win.
• They are contrasting styles and contrasting personalities, but Madison Bowey and Cole Martin sure compliment one another. Martin's strong defensive play allows Bowey to take off and create offensive.  Both players ended the game a +4.  Martin is now an impressive +37 on the season.
• Shane McColgan played against his old team for the first time Tuesday night. The now 21 year-old (He turned 21 today) saw limited time early in the game but saw increased ice time in the third period. McColgan was his agitating self but receives no where near the top end minutes on the power play or with the Winterhawks top players like he was granted during his time in a Rockets uniform.
• The Winterhawks played Tuesday's game without their top four players, but the Rockets deserve credit for not letting the home team off the hook. Even without those key guys, no one among the 11 thousand spectators that sold-out the Moda Center would have envisioned the score being 9-3 at games end. 
• The power play struck for two goals, but the real story was the teams ability to again create good scoring chances shorthanded. Much like we saw in Vancouver Saturday night, several odd man rushes resulted in glorious chances to score. Damon Severson's goal shorthanded less than 5 minutes into the third period was a big goal, considering the Winterhawks had reduced the deficit to three with a 5 on 3 goal of their own with significant time left on the clock. Severson's goal essentially put the game on ice.  
• The Rockets hadn't score 9 goals on the road since a 9-5 win in Regina in 2009. Oddly enough, Shane McColgan had 2+3=5 in that game. The Winterhawks haven't given up 9 goals at home since  a loss to Spokane back in 2007. 
• The month of December will go down in Kelowna Rockets history as the best ever. The team won all 12 games during the month. Last season the team was 9 and 2 in 11 games during the month.
• The Rockets were an incredible 57-9-2-2 in 2013. To that I say.....Happy New Year!!!!