Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
play game two of a four game home stand tonight against the visiting Spokane
Chiefs. This is the third of four meetings between these two teams. The Rockets
are 0-0-2-0 in the seasonal series after back-to-back overtime losses by scores
of 2-1 (December 2nd) and 3-2 (January 4th). The two
teams meet one more time in Spokane on February 26th. The Rockets
are 8-2-3-1 against the Chiefs in the last 14 regular season games. The Rockets
are 4-1-1-1 in their last 7 home games against Spokane. The Rockets are coming
off a 6-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds Monday afternoon (BC Family Day).
Following tonight’s game, the Rockets host Prince George tomorrow and the
Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday February 22nd. The Rockets close out February with three
games in three nights in Kamloops (Feb 24th), Seattle (Feb 25th)
and Spokane (Feb 26th). Overall, the team has won 3 straight and
have 6 wins in their last 7 games. The only loss over that stretch was a 6-0
loss in Kamloops February 8th.
What just happened? Calvin Thurkauf
scored twice Monday in a 6-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Rockets
rallied in this one. Trailing 3-2 after 40 minutes, the Rockets struck for four-third
unanswered goals in their 33rd win of the season. The game changed
when Thurkauf and Reid Gardiner scored back-to-back goals :24 seconds apart in
the third period before Carsen Twarynski and Nick Merkley closed out the
scoring. Michael Herringer made 31 saves in the win. .
That’s a Fact Jack: Brodan Salmond was
named the WHL and CHL Goaltender of the Week ending February 12th
after back-to-back shutouts against the Vancouver Giants. Salmond’s back-to-back shutouts are the first for a Rockets goalie
since Jackson Whistle had two in a row in the 2015 WHL playoffs vs. Tri City. Adam Brown had back-to-back shutouts during
the regular season against the Chlliwack Bruins in October of 2008…Nolan Foote
became the youngest player in franchise history to score three goals in a game.
Foote accomplished the feat February 10th against the Vancouver
Giants, scoring those three goals at the tender age of 16 years, 2 months and
12 days. The old mark was set by Shane McColgan who scored a hat trick at 16
years, 11 months and 9 days… The 56 shots the Rockets put up against the Giants
February 10th were a season high. The previous season high was 47 in
a 5-1 loss in Kamloops on December 28th…The Rockets have lost the
same number of games (20) as they did all of last season…Reid Gardiner has 16 points (7+9=16) in 13 games as a member of
the Kelowna Rockets.…The Rockets have generated 30 or more shots in 17 of their
last 18 games…The Rockets have been
shorthanded the most times in the entire Canadian Hockey League. The team has
been shorthanded 299 times…The Rockets have surrendered 5 or more goals 11
times this season. The teams’ record, not surprisingly, is 0-10-1-0…Tomas
Soustal turned 20 on Wednesday…Soustal has missed 7 games with an injury. The
Rockets are 6-1-0-0 without the Czech Republic resident.
Hot as a pistol: Calvin Thurkauf has
points in 13 of his last 15 games. Thurkauf has 10+10=20 over that stretch.
Kole Lind has points in 9 of his last 11 with 6+12=18 over that period. Nick
Merkley has points in 7 of his last 9 games with 6+10=16 over that span. Cal
Foote has points in 7 of his last 10 games with 1+7=8. Reid Gardiner has points
in 7 of his last 8 games with 5+6=11 over that stretch.
Broadcasters Bits: Kole Lind was the
WHL Player of the Week ending February 9th. Lind had 3+5=8 in three
games to earn the honour…In the Rockets last 11 losses (regulation or overtime
loss) the opposition has opened the scoring…The Rockets are 9-5-1-0 since the
trade deadline….The Rockets have scored 10 shorthanded goals this season, the
same number as all of last season…..GM Bruce Hamilton has traded/released six
players from the teams opening day roster…Kole Lind had his 13 game point
streak snapped December 18th against the Edmonton Oil Kings. It is
the longest point streak by a Rockets player this season …Calvin Thurkauf was
named the WHL Player of the Week December 7th to 11th …The Rockets
were 8-3-2-0 in December...The Rockets were 6-4-0-0 in 10 games in November
after going 8-4-0-0 in 12 games in October…The Rockets are the only team in the
WHL that has failed to surrender a shorthanded goal against this season…The
Rockets are 13-12-0-0 against BC based teams this season…Michael Herringer has started in 36 of the last 47 games…The
Rockets are 9-2-2-0 against U.S Division teams this season.
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