Foote takes first step as head coach

Adam Foote - Shoot the Breeze

• Adam Foote doesn't want it to be about him. That said, it was all about him Tuesday night when he stood behind the bench as the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. The 47 year-old was the focal point as he earned his first WHL victory as a coach with a 3-2 win over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. It was a soft launch for the likable Foote, who's team won for the first time on home ice this season against a Broncos squad that closed out an 8 game road trip with their 12th loss. Foote knows there are tougher days ahead. Foote took over from Jason Smith Tuesday morning and is not fooling himself into thinking he can change the teams fortunes around in a heartbeat. Foote appears to be a hands on coach though, despite having any such experience at the major junior level.  Verbally strong, Foote isn't scared to instruct in order to make his team better. "I love learning myself. I am reaching out to others for help at this level. It won't be easy. I am keeping an open mind. These players have to be comfortable with coming into my coaching room and talking. I don't want my players to feel shame for the mistakes they make. We will go to the chalkboard and figure it out. If we can develop properly, I believe some wins will come with it".  
•  The Rockets victory Tuesday night came courtesy of a quick start off the stick of 20 year-old Lane Zablocki. Scoring his first as a Rocket less than 5 minutes into the game set the table for the teams only home ice win in 7 attempts. Of the five wins this season, its been the result of the Rockets finding the back of the net first. Zablocki now has 1+2=3 in two games since coming back from injury.
• Goaltender Joel Hofer held the Broncos in the game early, making 20 of 21 saves in the opening period. Had the St. Louis Blues draft pick been off, his team would have been in a heap of trouble. That said, after a sluggish opening 20 minutes, my take is the Broncos were equal or slightly better than the home team. With just one win this season, the visitors could have buried their head in the sand and started the bus early for a long ride back to the prairies. Instead, Dean Brockman's crew was a handful in the clash of two teams that are sitting in the depths of the WHL standings. Swift Current will take its lumps this season. They will improve but they will lose a boat load of games. Fans there must remember that the WHL championship last season was sooooooooo worth it. 
• Two of the Rockets three goals last night were the result of rebound chances. Sounds simple doesn't it? Crash the net for secondary chances and you will likely be rewarded. Sadly, it rarely happens. Jack Cowell's game winning goal came exactly that way. An innocent shot from Kaedan Korczak from just inside the blue line is kicked out by Hofer.  Cowell drills home the rebound through the legs of the startled goaltender and its 3-2. 
• I thought James Porter Junior had a strong game. Starting for the first time in 8 games, Porter was sharp with several solid stops including robbing Broncos leading scorer Alec Zawatsky in the second period and making a nice glove hand save on Matthew Culling on a power play in the late stages of the third. Rebound control seems to still plague Porter resulting in glorious secondary chances for the oppositions shooters. It is a work in progress. 
• The penalty killing unit came up big in the late stages of the game. Holding a 3-2 lead, Jack Cowell was fingered to the penalty box after receiving a double minor for high sticking. With the Broncos pressing, Porter was solid and the PK unit paid the price in keeping the Broncos off the board. The penalty killing unit has not allowed a power play goal against in four games!
• Controversy in this one. The Broncos had a goal disallowed in the second period when Andrew Fyten's wraparound chance glanced off Rockets d-man Lassi Thomson and into the net. The goal was waved off after it was determined goaltender James Porter Junior was interfered with by Broncos forward Max Patterson. While no penalty was called on Patterson, the goal was disallowed as the goalie was 'unable to reset'. I am honestly not sure what that means? Video replay showed it was a clean goal, at least in my eyes. 
• The game featured what looked like a tired Rockets team both physically and mentally. It was the end of four games in five nights and the past 48 hours had the head coach relieved of his duties and a new coach brought in to guide the team. At the major junior level, specifically, that is a lot to digest only a month into the season.
• Nolan Foote was among the scratches for the Rockets. Foote was hurt Saturday in Victoria after receiving a high stick. The about to turn 18 year-old is listed as day-to-day on the WHL injury report and will likely suit up when the team hosts Prince George on Saturday.