Only in junior hockey

Steel Quiring

• Can a power play, even if you don't score, give a team momentum? Quick answer - yep! I saw it with my own two eyes last night in a miraculous come-from-behind effort by the Kelowna Rockets. While the team fell short, losing 6-5 in a shootout to the Portland Winterhawks, it was a Cross Hanus interference penalty that turned the road teams fortunes around. With the 2nd round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the box, the Rockets started firing pucks at will. Pavel Novak became trigger happy at the left face-off circle. Colton Dach started letting the puck loose off his stick at the right dot and the game shifted despite failing to find the back of the net. Up until that point, the Rockets had one shot on goal through the opening 9 minutes of the second period. The score was 4-1 - Portland. Hanas would come out of the penalty box and score to make it 5-1, but you could see the Rockets had awoken from their slumber. The key was not allowing the home team to get the 6th goal. I said it on the air. If Portland scores the 6th, it's lights out. The game is over. Jake Lee with a sharp angle wrist shot late in the period made it 5-2 and the chances, while slim, were there for a possible comeback. 
• It's really the beauty of junior hockey. Down 5-1 at one point in the game, but still the ability to score 4 unanswered goals to tie it is often unlikely, but in this league it is doable. The Rockets did just that. With the Winterhawks playing on their heels and the Rockets playing on their toes, rookie d-man Caden Price got the party started with a wrister from the blueline. Nolan Flamand fired home a power play goal and the deficit was just one. The clutch goal came with just over 2 minutes left in regulation time when Turner McMillen unselfishly handed the puck off to Steel Quiring, who's quick wrister found the back of the net underneath the blocker of Hawks starter Dante Gianuzzi.
• The Rockets really struggled out of the gates in this one. When they finally showed some life, it seemed like the Hockey God's were angry. Turner McMillen hits the crossbar on an excellently executed two on one and Mark Liwiski hits the goal post on a deflection at the lip of the crease. It looked like it wasn't going to be the Rockets night. Give the team credit for keeping the belief despite so many things going wrong before the third period comeback bid. 
• Overtime was absolutely wonderful. Great scoring chances both ways. With Talyn Boyko chased from the game after allowing 5 goals on 18 shots, Colby Knight came into the game and was absolutely terrific. It looked like the old Colby Knight we witnessed in his Rockets debut after being acquired from the Edmonton Oil Kings. The18 year-old carried his strong play after coming off a shutout against Prince George in his last start Saturday night. Knight was so quick down low. His ability to track pucks was terrific and his glove hand was laser quick. 
• If I'm the Rockets, I would have left last night's game feeling pretty good about coming back the way they did. It was a hard earned point in a place where wins for this franchise has been hard to come by over the years. To play that poorly off the start and finish that strong was extremely impressive for a team that wouldn't fold. Heck, they thought they won the game in overtime when the puck, from my location, seemed to glance off the crossbar with time about to expire. The back official called it a goal. The Rockets players exited the bench to celebrate only to find out the goal was under review. Video indeed showed the puck did not enter the net and we were off to a shootout. 
• My real only criticism from last night's game is the starting goaltending. It just has to be better. Even if the team struggles to start a game and seem to be slow to pucks and the bus legs are clearly evident, the starting goalie needs to hold his team in the game. I am not saying all 5 goals were Boyko's fault last night, but again you need to steal a game, or hold the team in the game. Colby Knight must also be held to that same standard. It seems like a common theme this season has the starter struggling, is eventually replaced, and then the team wakes up and preforms to the level they are capable of playing. Knight hasn't allowed a goal in over 90 minutes of action in back-to-back appearances. The shootout goal doesn't count, outside of a SOL in his statistics. The last player to score against Knight was Winterhawks d-man Ryan McLeary back on November 5th.  
• Jake Lee played last night's game with a cage. The 20 year-old had his nose broken against Vancouver a couple of weeks ago and just got it reset. Despite the 'bird cage', Lee again played well and was full marks for his 5th goal of the season. Watch the video as he hold the puck at the right point and is able to do his 'Russell Wilson' imitation with the puck by dodging defenders before eventually losing it and then getting it back for a sharp angle opportunity. No one on the Rockets d-core is as deceptive or shifty as Lee. It is fun to watch. 
• I know Clay Hanus or Jaydon Dureau should be catching my attention, but in two viewings the forward who impresses me the most is James Stefan. Wearing #13, the dude loves to shoot. He is always a threat to score. He had a season high 8 shots on net last night and just seems to be a player that pops for me every time I see him.
• A first time viewing for me of d-man Luca Cagnoni. While only 16, lots of upside with this player. I will take another look tonight to see if I am evaluating him correctly. At first glance, the Winterhawks have a player there.
• I ran into Dan Marr in the scouts room before last night's game. Marr is the Director of Scouting for NHL Central Scouting. Marr is out evaluating, which he always does. As an undrafted player, you always have to be acutely aware that persuasive eyes are indeed watching your performance on any given night.
• Sitting. Ya, sitting. Veterans Memorial Coliseum is the only arena in the WHL where I am forced to sit for the entire game while calling the action. For the record, I don't sit when I broadcast games - ever. I stand about 80 percent of the time. Maybe it's restless leg syndrome or just a nervous tick, but I feel like a caged animal calling a game while sitting in a chair. The sight lines are solid at VMC, so one should keep complaints to a minimum. 
• We are on the air a little early tonight. 'Rockets This Week' begins at 5 pm on AM 1150. It is my first interview with forward Pavel Novak and we discuss leadership with captain Tyson Feist. Talk to you on the radio then!!!