Rockets can't take full advantage of short staffed Cougars

Pavel Novak - Shoot the Breeze Photo

• Newcomer Pavel Novak continues to impress. Prospering on the power play, the 17 year-old rookie is showing he was indeed worthy of being selected in the first round of the CHL Import Draft. With only a handful of games under his belt, Novak had a week to remember, scoring three times and collecting three assists for six points in three games. Showing off his skills when the opposition is down by a man, the Czech forward clearly has a high hockey IQ. You can't take him off that first power play unit with his terrific passing, propensity to shoot and tremendous decision making. The good news is Novak is young and will only get better in time. His adjustment to the smaller North American ice surface is impressive. But again, let's temper expectations. The schedule is a long one for any junior player and mental and physical fatigue will play for a factor in his consistency. Throw in home sickness, that seems to plague anyone playing hockey a long way from home, it will be a hurdle the likable Novak will have to overcome.
• A bright spot heading into week four of the WHL season is the play of Roman Basran. I think the 18 year-old goaltender has been solid. Arguably the best dresser on the team, Basran's numbers don't lie. The workhorse with six games already played this season, the goals against average is an impressive 1.80 and the save percentage is a eye popping .933. That is a great stat line. You wins games with those numbers if the team in front of you has the ability to score. More on that later.
• You are winless in five games and everyone outside of the hockey club is telling fans that the Prince George Cougars are in a rebuild. Despite those PR struggles,which are factual, the game Saturday night was better attended than the opener when the Rockets escaped with a 2-1 road victory. You won't get large crowds in Prince George after years of losing (missed playoffs 6 of last 10 years) but you have to appreciate the teams work ethic. The biggest turnoff for fans, in my opinion, is watching a skilled team with no work ethic. What is exciting is watching a team play with determination despite a lack of high end talent in the lineup. Mark Lamb has them playing hard, which was a staple on why he was able to carve out a 400 game NHL career.
• Three texts this season is not enough for this broadcaster to jump up and down with glee, but those three all stated how informative head coach Adam Foote is on our AM 1150 pre-game coaches show. I have to agree. While he doesn't share any trade secrets to tip off the opposition, Foote is able to bring some insight for the fans to munch on. It isn't all coaches speak with no substance. Foote has been terrific in likely a portion of his day he least looks forward to doing.....talking to this media guy! That said, I do appreciate the time he takes to share his knowledge on how he wants his team to play. Selfishly, it makes my radio show better, but it is also a giveback to the fans that follow the team closely.
• The Rockets should have earned back to back wins in Prince George. Sorry, but it should have happened. The Cougars had several veteran players out with injury, yet the Rockets couldn't take advantage. Cole Moberg, Ethan Browne, Jackson Leppard and IIijah Colina are four big pieces that the Rockets didn't have to contend with, yet won only one of two games after narrowly escaping with a 2-1 victory Friday night.  To clarify, Browne played Friday but did not return for the rematch.         
• The Rockets are struggling to score goals on the road. The team has found the back of the net 5 times in four road games. In all four games, the Rockets have managed to score two or fewer goals. (3-2 OTL vs. Kamloops - 4-0 loss vs. Vancouver, 2-1 win vs. Prince George, 4-1 loss vs. Prince George). I can't pin point why, but the team is struggling manufacturing shots on net in those games and have been slow out of the gates in three of the four. The first period against Prince George Saturday night, where they hit two goal posts, was arguably the best period they've played on the road this season. Again small sample size, but they need to manufacture more goals when away from Prospera Place. 
• The visitors broadcast booth at the CN Centre gets some love on this blog entry. I don't take it for granted, but the setup is pretty much perfect. The hardwire internet is solid, the wifi seems to be significantly improved and the ability to tap into the PA feed is awesome. For years....years....the PA feed was unavailable for the visiting broadcaster. Why? No clue.