Rockets game notes vs. G-Men

Marek Tvrdon faces old team - Shoot the Breeze

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets have won seven of their last eight games heading into a date with the Vancouver Giants tonight at Prospera Place. The Rockets are 3-1-0-0 in the eight game seasonal series and will meet the Giants four times in the final 9 games of the regular season. The two teams meet tomorrow night in Vancouver and then close out the regular season with a home and home series March 14^th and 15^th. Overall, the Rockets have out-scored the G-Men 14-11. The Rockets are coming off a 4-3 shootout win in Tri City Wednesday night. Myles Bell scored the game winner and also responded with his 40^th goal of the season. Marek Tvrdon added two goals in the teams’ 50^th win of the season. Following tonight’s game the Rockets are in Vancouver tomorrow night before traveling to Everett on Tuesday.

50 Shades Of Grey: For the first time in franchise history the Kelowna Rockets are enjoying back-to-back 50 wins seasons. The Rockets had 52 victories last year, which is a franchise record. With nine games left the team can eclipse that total. With four road games left in the regular season the hockey club can set a new WHL record for road wins if they win all four games. The Rockets have 26 road wins while the league record is 29 wins on opposition ice.    

Race to 100: For the first time in franchise history the team earned 100 points in back to back seasons. Last season the team had 108 points. This season they have 104. The last time the franchise came close was in 2002-2003 when the team accumulated 109 points but then fell shy with 98 points in 2003-2004. Only four times have the Rockets earned 100 points or more. 

Racing for a Record: The Kelowna Rockets are trying to reach a franchise record for the most wins in a season. The current mark is held by last year’s team which won 52 times. This year’s club has 50 victories. Here are the top records:

2012-2013: 52 wins

2002-2003: 51 wins

2013-2014: 50 wins

2008-2009: 47 wins

2003-2004: 47 wins

The facts on 1^st place: The Rockets lead the Portland Winterhawks by 7 points for first place in the WHL standings. The Rockets have 9 games left while the Winterhawks also have nine. Portland plays five of its’ final 9 games on home ice. Of those nine games, four are against arch rival Seattle. Six of the Rockets last 9 games are against teams in the BC Division. 

Who’s Hot: Nick Merkley has points in eight of his last nine games. The 16 year-old has 6+5=11 over that period. Marek Tvrdon has 13 points in his last nine games (5+8=13). Damon Severson has points in eleven of his last fourteen games…Myles Bell has 19 goals in his last 25 games….The Rockets are 44-5-0-4 in their last 53 home games dating back to last season.

This and That: Marek Tvrdon plays against his old team for the first time. Tvrdon played 90 games with the G-Men…Myles Bell became the first player since Geordie Wudrick to score 40 or more goals in a season. Wudrick had 43 in 2010-2011….The Rockets have five more wins on the road than the 21 they had all of last season…Of Myles Bell’s 40 goals this season, 22 have been scored on the road with 18 coming on home ice…The Rockets are 8-5-0-0 in their last 13 road games…The Rockets are 6-1-0-2 in their last 9 home games…The Rockets are 17-4-0-2 since the WHL trade deadline.…The Rockets have been involved in 10-one goal games on home ice this season…Cole Martin is +101 over the last two seasons…The Rockets have 9 games left in the regular season. Five are on home ice with four on the road…The Rockets have scored six or more goals ten times on home ice this season… The Rockets are 15-4-0-0 in the second game when facing back-to-back scenarios this season….The team has been rated as the best team in the CHL according to the Top 10 junior rankings for a 9^th consecutive week….After losing two of his first three games, Jackson Whistle has won fifteen of his last sixteen games and is riding a personal 8 game winning streak….The Rockets have played in 9 shootout games this season and are 5 and 4. Four of the five shootout wins have come on the road in Tri City, Victoria, Prince George and Seattle…Jordon Cooke is 42-6-0-3 at home in last 51 starts at home dating back to last season…The Rockets have scored 4 or more goals in 24 of their 33 road games this season…In 7 of the Rockets 9 regulation losses this season, leading scorer Myles Bell has failed to score.