Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Rockets/G-Men preview


Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets close out the month of November with a pair of games this week including a home game tonight against the visiting Vancouver Giants. The Rockets are 11-1-1-0 in the last 13 games against the G-Men at Prospera Place, with that one regulation loss coming on October 3rd when the Giants earned a 5-0 shutout. The Rockets have scored just one goal in the two game seasonal series. That one goal came off the stick of Kyle Topping in a 3-1 road loss. Roman Basran has started in both games against Vancouver, posting a goals against average of 4.11 with a save percentage of .869. The Rockets are coming off a 2-1 loss Saturday in Everett. Kyle Topping had the lone goal in the teams’ 14th loss of the season. The Rockets are in Tri City Friday before hosting the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday. The Rockets are 7-4-1-0 in 12 games under Adam Foote. The team has won 5 straight at home. 
  
November’s best performers: With the month coming to close, Liam Kindree and Nolan Foote have had the most offensive success. Foote (7+3=10) and Kindree (2+8=10) lead the way with 10 points apiece. Kyle Topping has 9 points (5+4=9) in November while Leif Mattson (1+6=7) has 7 points this month.

Broadcasters Notebook: Three players will celebrate 100 games played with the Kelowna Rockets, at the same time, Saturday against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. Kaedan Korczak, Libor Zabransky and Erik Gardiner will hit the 100 games played mark on that night. Gardner hit the 100 games played milestone in the WHL recently, but Saturday’s game will be his 100th with the Rockets. The 19 year-old  had played four previous games with the Regina Pats before being traded….Nolan Foote has scored 7 home goals and 8 road goals this season…Foote is three points shy (97) of 100 for his career …7 of Kyle Topping’s 11 goals have come on the road…15 of Topping’s team leading 30 points have come on the road…Nolan Foote turns 18 tomorrow….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 is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is a second or third round candidate. Roman Basran/Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospects, 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.

Trade Winds: The Rockets traded 18 year-old Wil Kushniryk to the Tri City Americans October 22, 2018 for a 5th round bantam pick. The Rockets acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018 from Medicine Hat 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 pick. The Rockets acquired 20 year-old Lane Zablocki from Victoria 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: 13 @ Edmonton November 17, 2018 (3-1 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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