The Rockets learning as they go

Alex Swetlikoff faced his old team Wednesday night 
Photo courtesy Kristin Ostrowski

• You can learn a lot from winning. You can also glean a lot of information about yourself when you lose. The Kelowna Rockets have a better understanding about areas of improvement after a 5-3 loss Wednesday night to the best team in the Western Conference. The Everett Silvertips began to take over in the second period and the pace appeared to quicken. The Rockets, who played the night prior in a physical affair in Seattle, seemed to be a little slow-a-foot. The Tips have lots of hurry and hustle in their game. That and the ability to be physical added up to the Rockets making ill advised plays with the puck. Against the better teams like Everett, who could have four players at the upcoming world juniors, they can eat you alive if you don't match the pace and intensity. Despite the onslaught, the Rockets were still within a goal until the Tips manufactured a power play goal 6:10 into the third period. 
• The Rockets are 5-2-0-0 in the second of back-to-back games this season.
• It was one of the better opening periods I've seen from the Rockets in Everett. Sure, goaltender Tayln Boyko had to be sharp, but it was a 1-1 game after 20 minutes and the shots were just 12-10 for the home team. Avoiding colossal damage in the first period against the Tips is paramount. They've out-scored the opposition 30-12 in the first period heading into last nights game. 
• Max Graham made an impression against his old squad. Traded from the Tips to the Rockets for Alex Swetlikoff and a 6th rounder, the draft eligible Graham had two goals. His opening goal caught Tips goalie Braden Holt sleeping, but his second of the game in the third period was a beautiful shot from between the hash marks on a setup from Turner McMillen. Coming into last night's game, Graham had just two shots in his previous seven games. That's an ugly stat. Wednesday night, the Kelowna resident fired four pucks on net which ties a season high for him. 
• Pavel Novak is a clutch player. A perfect example came when the 19 year-old was awarded a shorthanded penalty shot when the game was tied at one. Instead of wilting under the pressure, Novak seized the moment by making it look easy by shooting, not deking to find the back of the net. Lesser players shoot the puck wide or make a move and lose control of the puck. Novak scored his 11th goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Colton Dach. Novak is a pressure player. 
• I love the deployment of Colton Dach at the point when the goalie is pulled for the extra attacker. The 18 year-old's quick release can come screaming at the goalie and appears to have the velocity of some players who take the massive windup for a slap shot. Those are often blocked. Dach is also able to get shots through with traffic in front of the opposition goaltender. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen Dach take a slap shot. I'm serious. All of his shots this season are primarily snap shots.
• The Rockets allowed a season high 48 shots against in the 5-3 setback. The previous high was 39 in a 2-1 shootout win to Spokane November 26th. Heading into the game, the Rockets had allowed the 6th fewest shots on goal - per game - at 29.8. 
• Tayln Boyko has made 7 consecutive starts. The last Rockets goalie to play 8 straight games was Michael Herringer in 2015-2016. With Jackson Whistle's season ending with hip surgery, Herringer started a whopping 18 straight. 
• The Rockets seem to play their best when they make the quick, five to six foot passes when transitioning up ice. It not only looks good, but it is often effective in preventing turnovers in the neutral zone. It was on wonderful display Saturday in Kamloops but seemed tougher to execute against Seattle and Everett.   
• Give the Tips credit. They did not take a single penalty until less than a minute remaining in the game with the score 5-3. That's a tough feat in today's game, but the Tips took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass and then a holding minor when the games was clearly in the bag.
• The Rockets played this one without forward Mark Liwiski. The 20 year-old was suspended for two games for a hit against Seattle the night prior. Liwiski is eligible to return when the two teams meet again Saturday night at Prospera Place. Liwiski has been suspended twice before, for three games for boarding in 2019 and one game for the accumulation of kneeing minors. 
• With a three game road trip behind them, where the Rockets earned 3 out of a possible 6 points, it's time for four straight home games before the Christmas break. Prince George is on the menu Friday followed by the Seattle Thunderbirds only visit to Prospera Place on Saturday.