Ignorance is bliss

Allen Douglas photo credit

• I wasn't totally convinced. I had my doubts. I wanted to believe that what I've been witnessing is indeed real. My confidence level in the 2021-2022 edition of the Kelowna Rockets took a significant step forward following a road win last night over BC Division leading Kamloops Blazers. I still had question marks despite two wins earlier this season against them. Could the Rockets win a game on the road, something that hasn't been accomplished in 11 consecutive visits to Sandman Centre? It happened last night, much to my delight in a 4-3 come from behind win. When the buzzer sounded, for the first time since Lassi Thomson patrolled the blue-line, the Rockets stepped off the ice in front of a hostile crowd with two points in their back pocket. While head coach Kris Mallette was pleased with his groups effort on our AM 1150 post game show, he wasn't getting overly excited about what the win meant for the psyche of his team. He quietly sounded like he expected the end result. If his bar is set that high for his team, the players must feel too that they have what it takes to compete against the Western Conference's elite. Don't be fooled. The Rockets didn't hold on for the one goal win in this one. Some anxious moments in the dying seconds for sure, but it was that bend but not break mentality that made the road victory that much more rewarding. 
• As mentioned, the Rockets didn't escape with the win. They deserved what they got. They surrendered the opening goal just 1:18 into the game. The Blazers are 15-1-0-0 when that happens, but no one told Kris Mallette's crew. Colton Dach, playing in his 100th career WHL game, found the back of the net from the lip of the crease just 3:41 later and it was proof the visitors were not going to wilt like a flower thrown into the freezer. Heck, they've been resilient all season long, why would we doubt them now? Well, you cast doubt because the opponent up until last night's game were 39-7-0-1 in the last three seasons playing at the Sandman Centre. I've seen the Blazers throw a knock out punch so many times in that building when it looks like the visitors are under control. The Rockets in their last 12 appearances were a dismal 1-7-3-1. 
• What may benefit this group, specifically, is many have not been around to witness the lack of success in Kamloops over the last few years. Ignorance is bliss. Colton Dach has no idea about futility in the building. Talyn Boyko too. The crushing setback during the 11 consecutive losses appeared to be the tie breaker game when the two teams were tied at the end of the 2018-2019 regular season. March 19, 2019 saw the Blazers beat the Rockets 5-1 on that night, with the home team exploding for four-third period goals which included two shorthanded in less than a two minute span. The Rockets have one - one player that remains on the roster from that fateful night. His name is Mark Liwiski.
• The Blazers and Rockets play such contrasting styles. That may explain why the Rockets are 3-0-0-0 in the seasonal series. The Blazers resemble a Supercar. They are flashy and fast. They catch your attention thanks to the top three scorers in the Western Conference. They have a world junior goalie with a team that's allowed the fewest goals against in the entire WHL. What's not to like? The Rockets, by contrast, play a physical style of game. Very physical, but the difference with being aggressive is playing within the parameters of the rules. Mallette and the leadership group have them playing that way. They have some flash and dash in their game, but they are like a reliable 4X4 pickup truck. A sturdy exterior, but it's what's under the hood, while concealed by the naked eye, that really counts. The rougher the terrain, the more they are likely to succeed.
• In a gutsy effort, it only seemed fitting that Turner McMillen had a significant role in the one goal win. McMillen, playing on the fourth line with Max Graham and 16 year-old Marcus Pacheco, had a glorious game. McMillen, a rookie in his own right, scored the go-ahead goal to give the Rockets a 3-2 lead and then muscled home the winner with 4:30 left on the clock. Pacheco had his first multiple point game of his young WHL career with two assists. The fourth line didn't sit idly by in the biggest road win of the season.
• Colton Dach has 5 goals against the Blazers in the seasonal series. Conversely, Blazers leading scorer Logan Stankoven hasn't figured in the scoring in any of the three games. 
• The Rockets scored 4 goals last night. Impressive, considering the Blazers allow the third fewest goals against - per game - at 2.00. Only Winnipeg and Everett allowed fewer goals per game entering Saturday's action.
• I thought the more the game became physical, the more a player like Noah Dorey stood out. While taking two penalties, playing in the trenches works right into his wheel house. The same holds true for Tyson Fiest and Jackson DeSouza. 
• Has the bar been raised with last night's win? In my eyes it has, but I'm guessing the coaching staff and players were thinking the bar was set that high before the season even started.