A man of his word

Kris Mallette is a man of his word.

In an interview before the puck even dropped on this abbreviated season, Mallette told me he would not sacrifice development over winning.

As competitive as they come, Mallette wanted to use this season as a tool to evaluate talent, look for success by winning games while allowing rookie players to be given the chance to shine in the spotlight if the opportunity warranted.

Oh, what an opportunity Mallette has given them.

Do many of them realize what they've been given?

I counted no less than two rookies getting a shift in overtime in a 4-3 loss last night to the Kamloops Blazers. 

Two!! 

In five minutes of overtime, playing three on three, would any other coach do what is considered the unthinkable? Did the Blazers have a rookie hit the ice in OT? I think not. 

Mallette is showing great trust in his players, young and old, believing they can get the job done, whether you've played 200 games in the WHL or a handful in major junior hockey. 

Mallette's words are not hollow. They aren't shallow. He means what he says and is being rewarded for it with his team following his lead. How can you not when he puts that type of trust in you? No agenda. No massive punishment if you screw up. A players coach. As he often says - he wants to be 'fun but firm'.

Getting the tap on the shoulder to play in crucial situations is fun. A sense of trust coming from your coach is fun. Winning is fun.

Mallette has provided his players with that exact formula.

Is their any other explanation on why the 2020-2021 Kelowna Rockets are having this much success?

It's easy to blame the coach when the team is losing, but let's not lose sight of the fact Mallette is one of the real reasons why the team is winning.

The contribution of new faces on this roster has been a real nice story, but the way Mallette has handled himself with less than 30 games coached at the WHL level shouldn't be overlooked either. 

• Overtime loss...yes. But let's look at the big picture here. The Rockets earned 5 out of a possible 6 points in three games in three night's over two teams ahead of them in the standings. To recap, a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Vancouver, a 6-1 triumph over Kamloops before losing last night's game, despite a solid effort in a 4-3 overtime loss. Mallette had this to say after the game. "Our players didn't sit back. It wasn't like the Blazers ran all over us. We created offense. To tie it up after chasing the game all night....the resilience of this group is great". 
• Remember the Rockets trailed 2-0 at one point in this one before getting back-to-back power play goals to tie it. It's the third time this season the team has fought back from being down by a pair of goals to get back in the game. The belief system with a little bit of 'no quit mentality' has served this team well in the opening 11 games. 
• David Kope led the way with 2 goals and an assist. Kope leads the team in scoring. While his breakaway goal with Mark Liwiski was well executed, it was the opening goal that jump started the offense. For my money, the first goal of the game is always a true indictor of who is a difference maker. Scoring the 5th goal in a 6-0 triumph doesn't given me the sense you are determined to make a difference when the game is in doubt. Nice to see Kope elevate when his team needed him most.
• The Rockets scored two power play goals last night. That is 6 consecutive games with at least one power play goal. While giving up a shorty last night, which is never good, the team was able to score shortly after giving up what some would consider a back breaker.
• Despite the loss, a solid effort from goaltender Roman Basran. The 19 year-old made some solid saves early to keep the game scoreless in the first period. I was hoping that Basran could steal a game for his team in a building where wins have been few and far between.
• Ample chances to score. Firing 38 shots on net was impressive, with Dillon Hamaliuk and Trevor Wong hitting goal posts in this one. Blazers goaltender Dylan Garand was on his game, so the Rockets weren't the recipient of any soft goals. 
• The loss snapped the Rockets five game winning streak, yet the team has points in 8 of their last 9 games. (7-1-1-0). With the point, the Rockets are now two points up on Prince George for third in the BC Division and still hold the best winning percentage of the five teams. 
• A well deserved rest. A little sunshine on the face today and the Rockets are back at work Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars. I won't lie. Coming to the rink is fun for even this broadcaster. It seems like every game, something new and exciting happens. Like a good novel, I can't wait to read the next chapter.