Rockets game notes vs. Tips

Tonight’s Preview: Two teams separated by 19 points in the Western Conference standings meet tonight when the Kelowna Rockets host the Everett Silvertips. This is the third of four meetings between the two teams. The Rockets are 2-0-0-0 after 6-3 and 3-1 wins. These two teams will conclude the seasonal series March 4^th in Everett. This is the first of three straight games on home ice. The Rockets host Medicine Hat Friday and Lethbridge Saturday night before traveling to Seattle to face the T-Birds on Sunday (5 pm). The Rockets enter tonight’s game having won 21 of their last 24 games overall and 30 of their last 34 games.

Road Review: The Rockets concluded their toughest portion of their schedule playing 16 of 18 games on the road. Over that stretch the team was 15-3-0-0. The only losses came against Vancouver (4-2), Edmonton (4-2) and Victoria (3-1). The team has 22 road wins, one more than all of last season and two off the team record. The Rockets have also scored the most goals on the road of any team in the WHL (119).     

Who’s Hot: Rourke Chartier has 3+3=6 in his last five games…Nick Merkley has 3+2=5 in his last five games…Damon Severson has 1+5=6 in his last five games…Myles Bell has 6 goals in his last seven games and has seven – two goal games this season…Madison Bowey has been on the ice for a team high 56 even strength goals this season…Damon Severson has been on the ice for just 17 even strength goals against this season. An impressive number considering the ice time the 19 year-old logs….Justin Kirkland, Cole Linaker and Dalton Yorke have been on the ice for a team low 8 even strength goals against.      

This and That: The Rockets have killed off 31 of the last 33 times they have been shorthanded…The Rockets are 12-2-0-0 in the second game when facing back-to-back scenarios this season….The Rockets have failed to score a power play goal in three straight games. The team is 0/10 over that stretch…Eleven of the teams next 14 games are on home ice…The team has been rated as the best team in the CHL according to the Top 10 junior rankings for three consecutive weeks….Myles Bell is third in the WHL in game winning goals with 6…Six alumni of the Rockets’ will play for their respective countries at the Sochi Olympics. Jamie Benn, Shea Weber and Duncan Keith will wear colours for Canada. Alex Edler (Sweden), Lauris Darzins ( Latvia) and Thomas Raffl (Austria) will also compete…Cole Martin leads the entire WHL with a plus/minus rating of +39…Myles Bell has 27 goals. Only four have been scored on the power play….The Rockets have been out-shot on home ice five times this season…After losing two of his first three games, Jackson Whistle has won nine of his last ten games….The Rockets have played in six shootout games this season and are 4 and 2. Three of the four shootout wins have come on the road in Victoria, Prince George and Seattle…Eighteen year-old Madison Bowey was named captain of the Kelowna Rockets November 1^st….Jordon Cooke was named WHL Goaltender of the Month for September/October…Jordon Cooke is 35-4-0-2 at home in last 41 starts at home dating back to last season…Jordon Cooke is 35-4-0-2 in his last 41 regular season starts dating back to last season…The Rockets have scored 4 or more goals in 21 of their 27 road games this season…The Rockets have nine players that have scored 10 or more goals and lead the WHL with 13 players with 20 or more points.    

  

Milestone Makers:

Myles Bell played in his 300^th game last Friday in Everett.  

Ryan Huska, according to Hockeydb, has 280 WHL regular season victories.

Huska is coaching in his 475^th regular season game tonight.     

Myles Bell has 98 career goals and 148 career WHL assists.

Madison Bowey has eleven more points (40) they he had in 69 games last season.

Carter Rigby has 45 goals in his last 127 regular season games since joining the Rockets. 

Ryan Olsen is playing in his 249^th career game tonight.

Rockets Three Star Leaders:

                          1^st Star      2^nd Star    3^rd Star    Total          

Madison Bowey:   7               3              0               10

Tyson Baillie:        4               2              3               9

Nick Merkley:       1               4              3               8

Jordon Cooke:       6               0              2              8

Jackson Whistle:   1               4              2              7

Myles Bell:            4               3              0              7