Friday, November 16, 2018

Rockets vs. Rebels


Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play game five of a six game road trip tonight in Red Deer. This is the lone meeting of the season. Last season the Rockets met the Rebels twice, winning 5-2 (November 11, 2017) before suffering a 3-2 overtime loss in Red Deer (January 27, 2018). Kole Lind would score the tying goal with :33 seconds left in regulation time before the Rebels would win it in overtime. The Rockets are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss in Prince George Wednesday night. Kyle Topping, Erik Gardiner and Lane Zablocki scored in the loss. The Rockets are 1-2-0-1 in the opening four games of the road trip, which concludes tomorrow night in Edmonton. The Rockets return home to host the Regina Pats on Wednesday November 21st.   

Broadcasters Notebook: The Rockets have just four players from Alberta. Lane Zablocki is from Wetaskawin. Braydyn Chizen is from St. Albert. Cayde Augustine was born in Airdrie while Kyle Crosbie is from Didsbury…Lassi Thomson is the top scoring rookie defenceman in the WHL with 7+9=16 in 21 games….Mark Liwiski leads WHL rookie with 13 minor penalties…Kyle Topping lead the team with a +7 rating….Leif Mattson leads the team in shots (78) followed by Nolan Foote (73)…Kyle Topping had his 12 game point streak snapped last Saturday in Portland…Nolan Foote had his 6 game goal scoring streak snapped in that same game….The Rockets are in the midst of playing in 11 games in 22 days to conclude the month of November….Kyle Topping turns 19 on November 18th…Nolan Foote turns 18 on November 29thNolan Foote played in both games for Team WHL against the Russian Selects in back-to-back games Monday in Kamloops and Tuesday in Vancouver…Four members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s November “Players to Watch’ List. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak and Lassi Thomson are ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or third round. Roman Basran is a ‘C’ prospect, which means he could be taken in the third to the seventh round…Adam Foote was officially named the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets on October 23, 2018 replacing Jason Smith. Foote earned his first WHL coaching victory that night in the Rockets 3-2 win over the Swift Current Broncos. Foote played 1,154 games in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Quebec Nordiques. Foote is also a two time Stanley Cup champion. 

Trade Winds: The Rockets traded 18 year-old Wil Kushniryk to the Tri City Americans on October 22, 2018 for a 5th round bantam pick. The Rockets acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018 from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 10th round bantam pick. The hockey club acquired 18 year-old forward Michael Farren October 11th from the Saskatoon Blades for a third round WHL bantam pick. The Rockets acquired 20 year-old Lane Zablocki for a conditional 7th round and conditional 4th round bantam draft pick on September 29th.

Season Highs/Lows:
Most goals scored: 8 @ Victoria October 19/18 (8-2 W)
Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L)
Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L).
Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)
Most shots allowed: 50 @ Portland November 10, 2018 (3-0 L)
Fewest shots allowed: 20 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)
Last time shut out at home: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)  
Last time shut out on road: November 10, 2018 @ Portland (3-0 L)
Most power play goals allowed: 4 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on power play.
Most power play goals scored: 4 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)

Roster Stats:
Player total: 24
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s (1998) – 3   Gally, Zablocki, Chizen
19’s (1999) - 5   Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell
18’s (2000) – 9  Farren, Thomson, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Pow, Steffler,
17’s (2001) - 6   Korczak, Crosbie, Basran, Liwiski, Wilton, Augustine
16’s (2002) - 1   Ernst

Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150

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