Rockets spoil Porter's terrific effort

Chris Mast Photo

• It happened against the Prince George Cougars in a 4-3 overtime road loss. It happened again last night in a 2-1 setback in Everett. Surrendering a late third period goal was the Kelowna Rockets undoing. Instead of earning two points in Prince George, the team had to settle for one when the home team scored with 17 second left in the third period. Against the Tips, instead of going into overtime, leading scorer Connor Dewar fired home the game winning goal with 54.7 seconds left in regulation time in Everett's one goal win. The Rockets spoiled a tremendous goaltending display from James Porter. It was Porter that essentially allowed his team to be in a great position to provide the upset against the Western Conference's top team. Porter was the best player on the ice, and needed to be, as the Rockets again limped into a road game after playing the previous night at home. Porter made 40 saves, with only Dewar able to beat him twice, once in the second period and the game winner with time ticking down. The loss snapped the Rockets three game winning streak and didn't allow them to gain any ground on second place Victoria, who lost in Vancouver, while fifth place Kamloops also lost on the road in Spokane. 
• One more note on Porter. While he wasn't making massive saves and making it look difficult, it was the way he was square to shooters and absorbing pucks into his body that was the most impressive aspect of his game. The 18 year-old's rebound control is often his weakness, but that wasn't the case last night. Like a vacuum, Porter was able to suck long and close range shots into his body with perfection. I thought it was his best game ever in a Rockets uniform and he was worthy of second star status. 
• The Tips were clearly the aggressors in the game. They had the puck a significant amount of time and o-zone play was predominantly in front of Porter. The Rockets did a great job of defending and were again only a strike away from tying the score. That happened, when Kyle Topping fired home a power play goal, and despite a lopsided shot clock, a point was feasible in a building where success has been hard to come by. Dewar dashed any hopes though, when he scored his 20th goal of the season and the Rockets left Washington State empty handed - again.
• What's with the Rockets penalty killing unit on the road? It is lights out terrific. The PK was 4 for 4 last night and is now the third best unit on the road in the WHL. By contrast, the PK at home is rated second worst in the 22 team circuit ahead of only dead last Brandon. If anyone can explain this, I'm all ears. The team has been shorthanded 21 more times on the road than at home yet the success rate in killing penalties is significantly greater.
• Liam Kindree is having success centering a line with Erik Gardiner and Lane Zablocki. Kindree, learning the position after playing primarily on the wing, is 23 for  32 in the face-off circle in the last three games. Kindree is also riding a four game point streak, his longest of the season. 
• It is pivotal for that line to be going, taking some offensive heat off of the top line of Leif Mattson, Nolan Foote and Kyle Topping. Right now the third line is generating little, with 19 year-old Connor Bruggen-Cate marred in a 12 game goal scoring drought while Jack Cowell hasn't hit pay dirt in 10 games and  has only one in his last 13 games. Maybe that third line is just a checking line with no need to score? If that indeed is the case, then stay the course with what those 19 year-old players are contributing. It should come as no surprise than that the Rockets have only 71 goals this season, tied for fourth fewest in the WHL.   
• The team ended a stretch of playing 9 games in 16 days. Of those 9, seven were on the road. Now they get set for a home date against the Vancouver Giants Wednesday followed by another single game south of the border in Tri City on Friday. The team returns to Prospera Place to face the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday to open the month of December.