3 out of possible 4 points

Jake Lee hits 100 point plateau

• Golf is a game of inches. So is hockey. Just ask the Kelowna Rockets d-man Jake Lee. In  overtime Sunday afternoon, the soft spoken defender rings one off the goal post. The puck comes the other way and Zach Ostopchuk scores seconds later. Game over! Call it bad luck. Or call it a point in the standings. Frankly, I left the Langley Events Centre feeling ok with the effort and result considering the team was trailing 3-2 heading into the third period. The statistics were against the Rockets in earning a point. They had only one win after trailing after two periods and the Giants were 7-0-0-0 at home when leading after 40 minutes. Getting a clutch power play goal from Colton Dach to tie the score just 7 seconds into the man advantage was massive. This team has no quit. I've seen it too many times to doubt them. I am awfully impressed by the will this team has to fight back when the chips are down. That belief to win may be the reason why the coaches and players - as a collective group - were dissatisfied with Sunday's result. They believe they should have won the game. They were sour with the end result. That is a great thing. 
• You may want to watch the video of Dach's tying goal. The beauty isn't the shot, which is drilled into the net with proficiency from the 19 year-old. It's the picture perfect pass from 16 year-old Andrew Cristall that makes this goal possible. At the top of the right face-off circle, Cristall threads the needle with a tremendous - flat pass - through no less than two Giants sticks to find Dach at the left dot. Dach, in one tremendous motion, fires it home and it's a new game. Cristall is such a special player. His skill level is elite. I don't want to take it for granted. I want to continue to me mesmerized by his soft hands. Remember, he is 16. 16!! Not since Nick Merkley or Shane McColgan, have we seen such a young player do so many veteran type things.
• Cristall has 6+5=11 in the last 8 games. By comparison, leading scorer Pavel Novak also has 11 points (3+8=11) in his last 8 games.
• Positives? Lots in my seat from the press box. The Rockets opened the scoring in this one. They had gone 7 straight road games without the opening goal. Heck, the visitors had a 2-1 lead after one period, impressive considering the team was on the bus in the early morning hours for the 4 pm start time. 
• Jake Lee hit the 100 point mark with an assist on Dach's power play goal. The 20 year-old has played 105 games with the Rockets since being acquired from Seattle in a blockbuster deal at the WHL bantam draft in 2019. Lee has almost been a point a game player this season. I didn't see that coming. He easily will surpass the 30 points he had in 2019-2020. He already has a career high 8 goals after scoring 5 times two years ago. Oh, did we mention, Lee is riding a 8 game point streak (2+9=11), the longest point streak (tied with Novak) of any Rockets player this season. 
• Who is the next Rockets played to reach 100 points? Pavel Novak has 92. 
• The Rockets would have won this game had Justin Sourdif not played. The 19 year-old returned after playing for Team Canada at the world juniors and was typically noticeable. I've never see him take a game off. The third round NHL draft pick is always a factor. The Giants captain had two assists and a team high 5 shots on net. In the seasonal series, Sourdif has 2+8=10.
• I was hoping the Rockets could capitalize with Fabian Lysell absent from the Giants lineup. The first round NHL draft pick of the Boston Bruins is back in Sweden taking more time off after playing for his country - for a limited time mind you - at the world juniors. It's not a great look. His countrymen, Giants goalie Jesper Vickman, didn't go home after playing at the prestigious tournament. He played Sunday against the Rockets.  Lysell isn't expected to play this Friday when the two teams meet again - this time at Prospera Place.
• Head Coach Kris Mallette wanted to see his team play disciplined against the G-Men. Man, did they ever comply. Jake Poole took the only penalty for the road team. Coming into the game, the Giants had scored 7 goals on 15 power play chances. 
• It was hard to believe but Talyn Boyko was making his first start at the LEC - ever! The 19 year-old has been on a roll as of late, with 5 consecutive wins up until Sunday's overtime defeat. 
• It was the Rockets first overtime loss this season. They had won four consecutive games in OT with two coming against Victoria and one each vs. Kamloops and Vancouver. 
• The Rockets are 15-5-1-0 against the BC Division this season. 
• Impressive in the second of back-to-back games. The Rockets are 6-3-1-0 this season in that situation. 
• Hold onto your hat. This Friday will be the start of 12 games in 23 days including two home games this weekend against Vancouver and Portland before traveling up to Prince George for two games against the Cougars one week from today.