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| Shoot the Breeze Photography |
Game Day Preview: This is the final
home game for the Kelowna Rockets before the Christmas break. The Rockets host
the Victoria Royals to wrap up a three game home stand. The Rockets have an
overtime loss (5-4) to the Saskatoon Blades and a shootout win over the Tri
City Americans (3-2) over that period. This is the fifth meeting of the season
between these two teams. The Rockets are 3-1-0-0 in the seasonal series,
including a 3-1 victory at Prospera Place back on November 23rd. The
Rockets have won the last three meetings after dropping a 4-3 decision on home
ice back on October 5th. The Rockets power play is 6 for 16 (37.5%)
in the opening four games against Victoria. Liam Kindree has 4+5=9 against the
Royals while Lassi Thomson has 3+4=7 against the BC Division rivals. Roman
Basran has a sparkling 3-0-0-0 record and a goals against average of 1.33. The
Rockets are in Cranbrook this Tuesday to open a four game road trip. The
Rockets are 9-5-2-0 in 16 games under head coach Adam Foote.
Who’s Hot: Nolan Foote has
points in 7 of his last 8 games. Foote has 6+5=11 over that stretch. Leif Mattson
has four goals in his last 6 games. The 19 year-old has registered at least one
shot on goal in 29 of the teams 30 games this season. Kyle Topping has 3 goals
in his last 6 games. Topping has registered a point in 22 of the teams 30 games
this season. In his last four
appearances, goaltender James Porter has stopped 113 of the last 122 shots
(.926 save percentage) he has faced. The Rockets penalty killing unit is 15 for
15 in their last three road games.
Broadcasters Notebook:
The
Rockets have acquired the playing rights to 17 year-old forward Alex Swetlikoff
from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a 4th round bantam pick.
Swetlikoff, a Kelowna product, was originally drafted in the third round by the
Seattle Thunderbirds. This season, Swetlikoff, who is committed to playing NCAA
hockey at the University of Denver…Lassi Thomson has been invited to Team
Finland’s training camp for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships….Libor
Zabransky has been invited to Team Czech Republic’s training camp as well…...The
Rockets traded 19 year-old Jack Cowell to the Kootenay Ice November 29th
for a third round bantam pick… The Rockets are 5-8-1-0 against BC Division
teams this season…Nolan Foote has scored 9 home goals and 8 road goals this
season …7 of Kyle Topping’s 12 goals have come on the road…16 of Topping’s team
leading 31 points have come on the road….The Rockets have only one December
birthday to celebrate. Lane Zablocki officially turns 20 on December 27th….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.,,.The Rockets are 3-7-1-0 when playing the second game
of back-to-backs.
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:
22
Year by
Year Breakdown:
20’s (1998) – 3 Gally, Zablocki, Chizen
19’s (1999) -
4 Topping,
Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate
18’s (2000) – 8 Farren, Thomson,
Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, 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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