You need a little hockey luck to win a championship

Let's face it; you need a little luck or good fortune along the way to win a WHL championship. Oh sure, good goaltending, timely scoring and character players need to emerge to win the Ed Chynoweth Cup, but if the 'Hockey God's' aren't looking upon you favorably you are severely hooped.
Use the Kelowna Rockets as an example. In the 2013 playoffs, the Rockets suffered far too many obstacles in order to obtain the ultimate prize. The injury to captain Colton Sissons in the second last game of the regular season was a back breaker. Many fans wondered why it had to happen late in the season and why to the teams’ heart and soul player? And why was the injury so significant? Why did Carter Rigby and Mitch Wheaton have to suffer shoulder injuries that were so serious, neither could play in the first round of the playoffs? Why did MacKenzie Johnston get knocked out of the opening round playoff series with Seattle before Jesse Lees suffered a similar fate in game four? It forced the Rocket to use just five d-men to get past the T-Birds in a series that should have never gone seven games. It ended up taxing both the forwards and d-man and left them anything put fresh for a second round date with the Kamloops Blazers.
In round two against Kamloops, why did the officiating staff stick it to the Rockets in game four? Why did the team have to compete against more than just a Blazers team who needed no help in generating quality chances even strength? No breaks from the officiating staff and the injury bug biting mercilessly translated into a quick exit from the playoffs and no championship title.
Good fortune was a factor in a WHL title in 2005 though. The Rockets found themselves in the Western Conference final against the high powered Kootenay Ice. In game six at Prospera Place, Ice goaltender Jeff Glass was putting on a clinic. With Kootenay holding a slim 1-0 lead late in the third period and game seven looking like a sure thing back in Cranbrook, the Rockets were granted a power play late in the game. Defenceman Mike Card would take the puck behind the Rockets net and skated with it up the ice. Instead of dumping the puck in the corner, Card surprised Glass by firing a long range shot from center ice that somehow beat the 19 year-old goaltender, tying the game at one. In overtime the Rockets would score the game winning goal. On to the finals they went where they captured the league title with a rather easy five game series with the Brandon Wheat Kings. But why did Mike Card's shot from centre ice beat Glass, who was indestructible through 56 minute?
Fast forward to 2009 when the Rockets faced power house Calgary in the league final. In game six, the Rockets are awarded a power play in overtime after Alex Plante takes a hooking penalty. Tyson Barrie goes on to score the game winning goal sending the Rockets to the Memorial Cup for the fourth time in franchise history. But why was a penalty called on Plante in overtime? Was it good fortune that played a factor in one official calling a penalty in O.T? Had Calgary won that game the series would have gone back to the Saddledome for a game seven where the Hitmen would have been the odds on favorite to wrap up the series.
Again, good goaltending, timely scoring and character players need to emerge in order to have a long playoff run into the month of May. But if you don't think a little luck or good fortune along the way isn't necessary in winning a league title and representing the WHL at the Memorial Cup, you are fooling yourself.

The straw that stirred the Kelowna Rockets drink

Colton Sissons is a rare breed. He can shoot, skate and score. Sissons can lead in the dressing room and will fight when provoked. That may explain why he was named the MVP of the Kelowna Rockets. He could do it all. Is he the best Rockets captain ever considering he could do so many things so well? There is no debating he was the straw that stirred the Kelowna Rockets drink.

Jordon Cooke audio from morning press conference

Here is Jordon Cooke reflecting on the ups and downs of being a #1 goaltender, not only during the regular season, but the playoffs.

Rockets' open/close season with overtime loss to Blazers

• The Kelowna Rockets season started with an overtime loss in Kamloops. Ironically, the teams magically season would end the exact same way. Kale Kessey scored less than four minutes intro extra time in a 4-3 win, eliminating their BC Division brethren in four games. The only thing keeping this game from getting out of reach was a strong penalty killing unit and the play of goaltender Jordon Cooke. After being pulled in game three, Cooke rebounded with a worthy performance in what I would consider a statement game. Cooke had to be sharp as the Blazers were granted 10 power plays, including four in the first period. Playing shorthanded, the Rockets fell behind 3-1 only to fight back with two-third period goals to send the game into overtime for a second straight night.
• The Rockets showed great resilience despite playing their sixth game in nine days. They were gassed killing off penalty after penalty yet found a way to claw back. It was interesting to see the officiating crew wanting to show the TV audience that they indeed were in full control. In an elimination game, leading scorer Myles Bell is assessed a ten minute misconduct for something he said to one of the officials. With Bell in the box, J.T Barnett and Cole Linaker would score in a 4 and a half minute span and it was a brand new game.
• While Blazers forward Brendan Ranford was by far the best forward in the series, goaltender Cole Cheveldave was really the story in games three and four. Had Cheveldave been even average in those two games, the chances of playing a game five in Kelowna would have been extremely great. The 19 year-old made countless tremendous stops, including a few late in the game to send the contest into overtime.
• The goals by Cole Linaker and J.T Barnett were the first-third period goals the Rockets scored in the series. The biggest goal came off the stick of Tyson Baillie though. Back in the line up after being suspended for two games, Baillie got the ball rolling in the second period with a quick shot that tied the game at one. Baillie proved again he is a heart and soul player. Those are the individuals you win with when the going gets tough. Baillie really sparkled in the playoffs and emerged as a clear go-to-guy.
• J.T Barnett's presence in game three and four were immense. The 20 year-old, who unfortunately had his junior career end in overtime, added much needed offense on a team that saw their top two point producers during the regular season go quiet. Barnett played with desperation and was a true leader in every sense of the word. 
• Cody Fowlie was another 20 year-old that gave so much to his team in game four. Fowlie was blocking shots and was doing everything he could in order to help his team. Fowlie's shot block on Blazers d-man Joel Edmundson in the third period was undoubtedly painful but inspiring for his teammates.
• Eight of the ten Rockets goals in the series were even strength. The only power play goal the team scored was Myles Bell's blast in game three. Ryan Olsen had a shorthanded goal in game three. The Blazers scored 18 goals in the four games, with 12 of them coming even strength.
•  The crowd in Kamloops over the last two night's was tremendous. While not a sell out in either game three or four, they made significant noise and provided the building with an amazing atmosphere.  
• The Rockets may hang their heads today, but the picture will become clearer in the days ahead of just how special they were. It was just that - a team. I don't think I've witnessed a group of players come together and play so well with no one individual outshining the next. With the losses of Barnett, Fowlie and Dylen McKinlay to graduation, the only other player that won't return next season is captain Colton Sissons. That's it. Of the 24 players on the roster, 20 return to defend their BC Division regular season title next season. That is an impressive number.
• It was fun calling games on the radio for a team that won 56 times (regular season/playoffs) . I have so many great memories to take away. How about tying a franchise record for wins on home ice? How about chasing down the Blazers for first place and winning the BC Division regular season banner? And don't forget the thrill of coming back from being down three games to none in their opening round playoff series to Seattle to become only the second team in WHL history to win a playoff series.
• Thanks for listening to our broadcasts on AM 1150. I appreciate the dedication and support colour analyst Gord McGarva gave me again this season. While not a broadcaster by design, Gord has made huge strides over the years by learning by doing. We often discuss how we both can be better. It is that type of open friendship that makes it work. I am indeed grateful to have Gord alongside in the broadcast booth. 

Playoff success in Kamloops is well documented

• The Rockets head into tonight's game riding a five game playoff winning streak in Kamloops. For what it's worth, the team won back-to-back games in 2009 and again in 2002. The audio of the Rockets last playoff appearance at the ISC can be heard above. The Rockets also won game five of a 1999 series in Kamloops between the two teams.
• The Rockets were a 3-2 winner in Kamloops in late March. Interesting to note is Jordon Cooke was named the first star. Cooke doesn't need to be the best player on the ice tonight, but he has to be in the top three.
• Tyson Baillie won't play after receiving a two game suspension for his hit on Colin Smith in game one. Baillie leads the Rockets in playoff scoring while Smith was the Blazers leading scorer during the season.
• As much as the Rockets may want to hang their heads with all of their injuries, the Blazers aren't exactly the healthiest either. If you are missing Smith and Tim Bozon, the Blazers aren't exactly flexing all of their offensive muscles. The fact of the matter is others are stepping up. Who wants to step up for the Rockets in game three?
• If you would have told me Blazers forward Aaron Macklin would have more goals than Rockets Ryan Olsen in the playoffs, I would have slammed 100 bucks on the table without hesitation saying your nuts! Macklin, who scored once this season has two goals in this series. Olsen, who scored 32 times hasn't found the back of the net in 9 playoff games.
• Eliminate the turnovers. Of the five goals the Rockets surrendered in game two, three were the result of turning over the puck in their own zone. The Blazers do not need any help creating chances. The Rockets MUST make the Blazers earn every chance they get.
• The Rockets need a better third period. Out-scored 5-0, they need to find the back of the net at the most crucial time of the game.
• Despite the 5-1 score in game two, my belief is the team played better than they did in game one. Had they had any puck luck in the offensive zone, who knows where that game would have gone? The Rockets haven't been robbed of any puck luck in this series though. The Blazers have missed several great chances of their own, either hitting goal posts or missing wide open nets. 
• I anticipate a great crowd tonight in Kamloops. A loaded fan bus from Kelowna is coming down and the first five thousand fans will receive a white waving towel. It should be a lot of fun tonight.         
• A little something special in the 2nd intermission tonight. Dave 'Tiger' Williams will join us. Now 59, Williams is still the NHL leader in penalty minutes. We will dig deep into the audio vault for that interview.  Talk to you on the radio at 6:30.   

Goalies come up large (audio)

How crazy was last night's game? Within 30 seconds we witnessed two breakaways, one for each team. Blazers forward Brendan Ranford was stoned at one end and Rockets forward  Zach Franko was denied at the other.

Down but not out

• Boy, does this feel familiar! The Kelowna Rockets are down two games to nothing in their second round playoff series with the Kamloops Blazers. It was over a week ago that the team was in the same spot after dropping two overtime games in an opening round playoff series with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The first two games against the Blazers are different though, considering both (4-2 and 5-1) were decided in regulation time. That and the Blazers are a much better team than the T-Birds and capitalize on a good portion of the mistakes you make. It all adds up to two huge games in Kamloops Tuesday and Wednesday. The Rockets need a win in order to host another playoff game Friday night at Prospera Place.
• The key story in game two was the Rockets inability to find the back of the net. They (Rockets) had ample chances to score but had problems beating Blazers goaltender Cole Cheveldave. I thought it was Cheveldave's brilliance in the second half of the game when the Blazers were carrying a 2-1 lead that allowed them to earn a 5-1 win. The 19 year-old made some terrific saves to keep it a one goal game before Chase Souto scored a stoppable shot five minutes into the third period to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage. Again the Rockets pressed, but couldn't solve Cheveldave in an effort to draw to within a single goal.  
• The third goal by Suoto was the back breaker. The fourth and fifth goals to make the score look lopsided are irrelevant. They came late in the game when bouncing back from a two goal deficit just wasn't going to happen against a strong Blazers team that can play solid defense with the best of them. For the Rockets to have any chance in this series they need to be in a position to be either ahead or behind by a single goal late in the game. With a depleted line up, the Hail Mary pass won't work. Using the football analogy, they need to be in field goal range to have a chance at winning.      
• Who scores the Blazers first two goals Sunday night? Both come off the stick of 20 year-old players. Brendan Ranford, who looks like Hannibal Lecter (Ok, not quite) with that cage he is wearing, has been playing with the desperation and pure desire the Rockets forwards have to mimic in order to have success. To this point they haven't matched Ranford's effort, which may be a good reason why only three goals have been manufactured in the first two games. The game winner in game two is scored by 20 year-old Dylen Willick. The older players step up and win games for you at this time of the year. Plain and simple.
• Things went so well for the Blazers in the first two games that even rookie Aaron Macklin looks like a goal scorer. Macklin has two goals in this series. The High River, Alberta product had just one goal in 62 games during the regular season. He's a grinder and does his best work in the corners but is providing his team with offense. 
• Can the Rockets beat the Blazers in Kamloops in games three and four? Sure they can, but Jordon Cooke has to be better than Cheveldave. It is a cold hard fact that Cooke must be a game changer. The 19 year-old was exactly that in game one. Sure, he surrendered a bad fourth goal in a 4-2 loss, but how many great saves did he make in that game? He clearly faced more quality shots than his counterpart and saved his team from embarrassment after a horrendous start. A night later, in game two, Cheveldave was simply the better goalie.     
• Both teams played without two of their top players. The Rockets leading playoff point getter Tyson Baillie was serving a suspension for a hit in game one on Blazers forward Colin Smith. Smith also didn't play in game two as he recovers from that hit. After watching it over and over, Baillie deserves a one game suspension, but nothing more. Smith is shooting the puck by cutting into the slot where traffic is often prevalent. As a player, he should take some responsibility for expecting to be hit in that area as he cuts across the slot. Did Baillie lay into a player that opened himself up to be clobbered? You bet he did. But Baillie did not leave his feet nor did he hit Smith in the head. The fact remains, my opinion doesn't count. The WHL head office will make the decision on the length of the suspension.
• It was nice to see both Carter Rigby and Mitch Wheaton back in the line up on the weekend. Wheaton surprised many when he was inserted into the line up for game one and then Rigby didn't look out of place when he came back in game two. Both received clearance to play after suffering shoulder injuries in January. After receiving medical clearance that no long term damage could happen, both decided to suit up and give it a try. Both players have been welcome additions on a team that is still forced to dress two 16 year-old's and a 15 year-old forward in Nick Merkley.

Rockets/Blazers game notes

Tonight’s Preview: Welcome to the second round of the WHL playoffs. The Rockets are hosting the Kamloops Blazers in game one of a best of seven series against the top two teams in the BC Division during the regular season. The Rockets managed 9 more points to win the regular season title. Game one is tonight with game two tomorrow night at Prospera Place. Games three and four are set for Kamloops this Tuesday and Wednesday night. The Rockets are coming off a seven game series win over Seattle while the Blazers disposed of the Victoria Royals in six games.

Playoff History Lesson: These two teams are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since 2009 when the Rockets eliminated the Blazers in the opening round in four games.  These two teams also met in the 2002 playoffs, again in the first round, with the Rockets prevailing in four short games. The last time the Blazers beat the Rockets in the playoffs was in 1999 when they used 6 games in an opening round playoff series victory. These two teams have never met outside of a first round match up. Even as the Tacoma Rockets in 1992, the Blazers won the series in four games in the opening round.        

Seasonal Series Breakdown: The Rockets and Blazers met 10 times this season. The Rockets will say they were 4-4-2-0 while the Blazers would suggest they were 6-4-0-0.  The truth is, two of the Blazers wins came in overtime and five of the ten games were decided by a single goal. 

Seasonal Series Scoring:

Periods:    1    2     3   OT   Total

Rockets:   7   16    7    0      30

Blazers:    9    9    11   2      31

*The Rockets power play was just 4 for 36 (11%) while the Blazers were 11 for 44 (25%) with the extra man. The Blazers also out-shot the Rockets in seven of the ten games.

Round One Recap: The Rockets became only the second team in WHL history to come back from a 0-3 deficit to beat the Seattle Thunderbirds in 7 games. Five of the seven games went into overtime and six of the seven games were decided by a single goal.  Tyson Baillie led the team with 7 goals and 12 points. The Rockets did not allow a power play goal in the series.  

This and That: The Rockets scored the opening goal in six of the seven games against the T-Birds…The Rockets won four games in the seasonal series against the Blazers, with three of those wins coming at Prospera Place…Tyson Baillie is riding a five game point streak (6+4=10)…Baillie scored twice against the Blazers during the regular season, with both coming in Kamloops…Zach Franko had 3+9=12 in the seasonal series with the Blazers…     Franko had a season high five points (2+3=5) against the Blazers December 27^th…. Myles Bell had 6+4=10 in ten games in the seasonal series with the Blazers…Nick Merkley earned his first career WHL point, an assist, in a game six win….Tyson Baillie has 7+7=14 in 11 career playoff games… The 17 year-old leads the team in power play goals with four….Damon Severson had a point in five of the seven games in the opening series against Seattle….Since re-locating from Tacoma to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-96 season, the Rockets have played in 184 playoff games.

Rockets regular season to remember:  The 2012-2013 edition of the Kelowna Rockets recorded a franchise high 52 wins this season. That broke the old mark of 51 set back in the 2002-2003 season. The Rockets won the BC Division regular season title and placed second overall in the WHL standings behind only Portland. The Rockets scored the second most goals in the league (309) and allowed the third fewest goals against (178) behind Edmonton and Portland. The Rockets had 14 players that scored 10 or more goals and 16 players with 20 or more points. The Rockets were 31-5-0-0 at home this season and tied a franchise record for consecutive wins (23) on home ice. 

Rockets award winners: Captain Colton Sissons picked up two awards at the teams year end awards banquet March 17/13. Sissons was named the MVP and Top Defensive Forward. Rourke Chartier was the rookie of the year and scholastic player of the year while Damon Severson was the top defenceman. Tyson Baillie was voted the most improved while Tyrell Goulbourne picked up the unsung hero award. Myles Bell collected 93 points this season and was named the team’s top scorer.     

Most Wins in Franchise History:

2012-2013: 52 - ?

2002-2003: 51 – WHL Champions

2008-2009: 47 – WHL Champions

2003-2004: 47 – Memorial Cup Champions

2005-2006: 46 – Eliminated 2^nd round

2004-2005: 45 – WHL Champions

1992-1993: 45 – Eliminated in 7 games in rd one

Third round bantam pick has first round fire power

• Fifty two players were taken before Tyson Baillie in the 2010 WHL bantam draft. Kelowna Rockets director of player personnel Lorne Frey elected to take the smallish Fort Saskatchewan forward with the teams third round selection behind first rounder Jesse Lees and second rounder Madison Bowey. How fitting it would be then that Bowie, taken 30 spots before Baillie, would set up the game winning goal Wednesday night leading the Rockets to a 3-2 win in overtime, becoming only the second team in WHL history to come back in a series to win it after trailing three games to none. Baillie's overtime winner was his seventh of the playoffs and helped his team win four consecutive games to advance to the second round. Had the T-Birds won the game, it would have been the biggest upset in league history. The Rockets had 50 more points than Seattle during the regular season.
• Baillie's goal came from almost the exact spot that Tyson Barrie scored his overtime game winning goal in game six of the 2009 WHL final against Calgary. 
• Baillie's seven goals in the series was one shy of former Rockets Geordie Wudrick's eight goals in a opening round seven game series in 2010 against the Everett Silvertips.
• Five of the seven games in this series went into overtime with six of the seven games decided by a single goal.
• It looked like game seven would be decided in regulation time until overage forward Luke Lockhart would score the tying goal with seven seconds left in the third period. With goaltender Brandon Glover pulled for the extra attacker, Lockhart found himself with the puck between the hash marks and beat Rockets goaltender Jordon Cooke high to the glove hand side. The 55 hundred fans were in shock. They quickly quieted after rising to their seats in a roller coaster of emotion in the final minutes. Prior to Lockhart's tying goal, Rockets forward Henrik Nyberg appeared to have a step on T-Birds d-man Jesse Forsberg in the neutral zone and was hauled down while attempted to fire the puck into the empty net which would have made the score 3-1. Instead the officiating crew kept their whistles in their pockets and the T-Birds would eventually score the equalizing goal.
• As good as Seattle goaltender Brandon Glover was in this series, you can't overlook what Jordon Cooke did at the other end. Cooke made a huge save against Lockhart shorthanded in regulation time and then stoned Lockhart on a grade 'A' scoring chance in overtime. For my money, if you look at his body of work over the seven games, Cooke is my playoff MVP. Mr. Baillie was a close second.
• The Rockets did not allow a power play goal in the series. 
• The crowd, while not capacity, was the loudest we've heard at Prospera Place since 2009. Does it take a game seven to get them riled up? Maybe? They were loud and proud and were a huge lift for their team. On this night they indeed were the seventh man.
• As good as overtime feels when you win, I can only image the painful feeling for the T-Birds, specifically the overagers when they saw their seasons come to a close. You really can't lose in a worse way can you? Brandon Glover and Luke Lockhart were instrumental in any success Seattle had producing an upset. Those two 20 year-old's were not innocent bystanders. They did everything they could to help their team win.
• How about Nick Merkley? The 15 year-old looked anything but raw in game seven. In fact his play took a step forward in game six when he created several scoring chances. The Rockets first round pick looked equally as good in game seven with some tremendous moves.
• Riley Stadel deserves some credit here. The 16 year-old has come a long way from the start of the season. He showed a lot of courage in this series when battling against much bigger opponents. The Rockets third round pick in 2011 logged big minutes with the loss of MacKenzie Johnston and then Jesse Less in game six. Stadel, Damon Severson, Madison Bowey and Cole Martin did some remarkable work back on the blue line when the injury bug bit.     
• The Rockets are now off to the second round of the playoffs where they face the Kamloops Blazers. It is a the first meeting between the two teams since the 2009 post season, when the Rockets swept their BC Division rivals in four games. That season they were separated by 26 points. This season the two teams were separated by just nine.    

Tyson Time! (Audio)

Here is Tyson Baillie's game winner in overtime as heard on AM 1150. Baillie sends the Rockets into the second round and into the record books as being only the second team to win a series after trailing 3 games to none.

Rockets about to join the chosen few?

• It’s been 17 years since a WHL team was able to come back and win a playoff series after losing the first three games. The Kelowna Rockets, who have defied the odds all season, look to join the 1996 Spokane Chiefs with a win tonight in game seven of their opening round set with the Seattle Thunderbirds.  The Rockets have won three straight, with two of the three decided by a single goal to pull even in this series.  In game six Tuesday night at ShoWare Centre, Myles Bell scored the game winner from his off wing on a hard wrist shot that beat T-Birds goaltender Brandon Glover to the glove side. It was the Rockets first overtime win after dropping three in a row in the extra session to the pesky T-Birds. 
• The Rockets got some puck luck in this one, but it had nothing to do with all of the tremendous chances they created in the offensive zone.   It came in overtime with a face off in the defensive zone to the left of goalie Jordon Cooke. Seattle 20 year-old Luke Lockhart won the face-off, but instead of feeding it back to a teammate, fired it at the Rockets goal, beating Cooke between the legs before it struck the outside of the far post and stayed out. Moments later Bell skated with the puck inside the T-Birds zone and scored the game winner.
• The Rockets played a good portion of the game without defenceman Jesse Lees who was hurt after Seattle’s Justin Hickman delivered a high hit that struck the 17 year-old in the head. From my broadcast location the hit warranted a 5 minute major and game misconduct. Hickman won’t play in game seven because of it.  Lees likely won’t either after failing to play the remainder of game six. The injury left the Rockets with just four defenceman, one of which was 16 year-old Riley Stadel.  Madison Bowey, Damon Severson, Cole Martin and Stadel deserve a lot of credit for hanging in there under tough circumstances.
• Was the Hickman hit on Lees worse than Connor Honey’s hit in game four on Rockets rearguard MacKenzie Johnston? I think it was worse. Honey’s was considered a hit from behind while Hickman’s was a blow to the head.  Hickman’s hit was right in front of me while Honey’s was at the other end of the ice from my broadcast location.  League disciplinarian Richard Doerksen told me Tuesday there are two criteria for deciding the length of a suspension on check from behind, one of which includes the severity of the injury to the player involved.  The league looks at any checking from behind penalty whether it is a double minor or major infraction.         
• Clearly the best player on the ice was T-Birds goaltender Brandon Glover. The 20 year-olds stop on Rockets d-man Damon Severson in the first period by flaring out his glove and stacking his pads on the desperation move was fantastic. Glover took away several sure goals and kept the T-Birds hopes alive of winning game six.  Unless I am wearing T-Birds rose coloured glasses, without Glover’s spectacular play, would this game have gone into overtime in the first place? I think not. The T-Birds created scoring chances, but again surrender numerous scoring chances of their own.
• The 59 shots on net were the most the Rockets have registered this season. The previous high was 58 when Cam Lanigan was lights out in the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 shootout win in October.   
• Rockets 15 year-old forward Nick Merkley picked up his first career point, an assist in a wild first period where six goals were scored. Merkley had a breakaway and no less than four shot on goal. Not bad for a fresh faced forward?  Or does it again illustrate the number of quality chances the T-Birds surrendered in the game?  
• Cole Linaker is really growing on me. The 17 year-old played big minutes and is outshining many of his older teammates that should prosper under these physical conditions. I also thought Ryan Olsen took his game to the level he needs to in order to be affective. Olsen was stronger on pucks and his desire to get involved was apparent.
• Five of the six games in this series have been decided by a single goal with four of the six games going into overtime. Do these two teams have anything left for game seven?  We are going to find out when the puck drops at Prospera Place at 7:05 Pacific time in the first seven game series of the 2013 WHL playoffs.     

You won't like me when I'm angry

• ‘You won’t like me when I’m angry’. Those are the words that came out of the mouth of Dr. David Banner before transforming into The Incredible Hulk. The Kelowna Rockets have morphed into a Hulk-like state after getting agitated by the start they had in an  opening round playoff series with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Rockets, after dropping the first three games in overtime, are bound and determined to prove they are a better team then what they showed in games one, two and three. Don't get me wrong, the Rockets haven’t turned green, nor have their jerseys torn at the seams as large muscles bulge out in anger, but they sure look like a motivated bunch right now. After dropping the first three, the Rockets have won the last two with momentum clearly shifting from one team – Seattle – to the other with two decisive wins. Sure, Saturday’s game ended 4-3, but the Rockets played a solid 59 minutes before the T-Birds made it interesting with a late third period push. Whose series is it to lose now? The Rockets still face playoff elimination squarely in the face for a third consecutive game while the T-Birds need one more win in the final two games in order to advance to round two. My gut feeling is both teams will put it all on the line tomorrow night in game six, but it will be treated like a game seven. The Rockets have to win or the season is over while the T-Birds do not want to come back to Kelowna for a one game wins all show down at Prospera Place on Wednesday. 
• Did the Rockets catch the T-Birds off guard in game five? I believe they did. After winning the battle in the trenches in the first four games, the Rockets were the aggressor not the T-Birds. Cody Fowlie led the charge with an early hit on T-Birds d-man Jesse Forsberg and then Tyrell Goulbourne got the better of Seattle’s Evan Wardley with significant contact at the offensive blue line. Those two hits set the tone for the Rockets best period of the playoffs. Territorially, it was all Kelowna.  
• The numbers don’t lie. The Rockets have out-shot the T-Birds 53-21 in the first two periods of games four and five. Seattle managed just 11 shots through 40 minutes in game four and then fired 10 shots at Jordon Cooke in the first two periods in game five. It should be no surprise - by those numbers  - that the Rockets have out-scored Seattle 9-2 in the opening 20 minutes in the five games.
• Is it Tyson Baillie time? The term was often used when describing Tyson Barrie. The 17 year-old is tied with Myles Bell for the team lead in playoff points with 7. Baillie leads the team in power play goals with four. Not draft eligible until next season, Baillie is turning more than a few scouts’ heads with his work ethic and ability to find the back of the net. To think he was selected in the third round of the 2010 WHL bantam draft. The T-Birds also have a dynamic third round bantam pick of their own. Shea Theodore was also a third rounder in 2010, taken 11 players after Baillie was plucked by the Rockets. 
• Justin Hickman won’t score many goals, but the Kelowna resident works his can off. The 18 year-old just never quits. It is a tough thing to teach a player. The T-Birds second round bantam pick is pound for pounds one of the toughest players in the Western Conference. I’m not talking fighting tough, but just a player who battles and won’t relent. Hickman is a product of the Okangan midget Rockets program.  
•  In case you are wondering, the Rockets haven’t played a game seven since 2010. That year, in round one, the Rockets beat the Everett Silvertips  - in Everett – to advance against the Tri City Americans.
• Only two teams have not surrendered a power play goal in the playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets are a perfect 22 for 22 and the Edmonton Oil Kings are a perfect 21 for 21. 
• The Kelowna media core grows by one for game six. Myself and Kelowna Daily Courier beat writer Doyle Potenteau will be joined by Kelowna Rockets website and media relations coordinator Kevin Parnell for the trip down to Kent. Parnell will assist me in the broadcast booth Tuesday night on our AM 1150 broadcast which will now include post game comments from the Rockets dressing room.