Friday, November 16, 2007

Game Notes vs. Tips

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Tips are meeting for the third time this season, and for the final time at the Comcast Arena at Everett Events Centre. The Rockets and Tips opened the seasonal series September 28th with the Rockets earning a 6-4 win. Dylan Hood (2+1) and Brandon McMillan (1+2=3) led the way for the Rockets offensively. Torrie Jung made 31 saves in the win, as the Rockets went 2/7 on the power play. On October 19th the Tips beat the Rockets 4-3 in Kelowna. Jamie Benn had two goals in a losing cause, as Kristofer Westblom made 23 saves in the setback. The Rockets were 2/8 on the power play, and are now 4 for 15=27% in the seasonal series. Following tonight’s game these two teams will close out the season against each other on January 30th in Kelowna. Overall the Rockets enter tonight’s game having recorded a point in 8 straight games (6-0-0-2), having out-scored the opposition 28-12 over that period. The Rockets last regulation loss was to the Kamloops Blazers, in a 5-3 setback October 26th. After tonight’s game the Rockets are in Portland Saturday and in Vancouver Sunday afternoon for a 5 o’clock game. The Rockets will then conclude 7 straight games away from Prospera Place with a game in Tri City November 21st. The Rockets enter tonight’s action with 6 road wins, the exact number of road victories the team recorded one season ago. The Rockets next home game is November 23rd against the Kootenay Ice.

Earning a Point in Everett Isn’t Easy: The Rockets failed to win a game in Everett last season. Since the Tips broke into the league in 2003, the Rockets are just 3-5-0-1 in 9 regular season games in the arena formerly known as the Everett Events Centre.

Myers Moving up the Charts: NHL Central Scouting has released it’s list of the top eligible players for the 2008 draft. Rockets d-man Tyler Myers is rated 2nd among WHL skaters. Luke Schenn is rated 4th. Everett’s Kyle Beach is the top rated WHL player for the June draft.

Red Hot Rockets:
Tyson Barrie: 1+4=5 in last 3 games Colin Long: points in 6 of last 7 (2+7=9)
Cody Almond: points in 7 of last 8 games (4+9=13) Brandon McMillan: 1+6=7 in his last 8 games
Jamie Benn: 4+2=6 in last 6 games Kyle St. Denis: 4+2=6 in last 7 games
Lucas Bloodoff: Goals in 5 of last 8 games (7 goals over that period)
*The Rockets are 9 for 36 on the power play in their last 6 games – or 25%.*

Rockets Milestones:
Luke Schenn played in his 150th WHL game last Saturday in Prince George.
James McEwan plays in his 191st WHL game tonight.
Brady Leavold plays in his 150th game tonight.
Kristofer Westblom played in his 100th WHL game last Friday in Prince George.
Lucas Bloodoff is playing in his 91st WHL game tonight.
Colin Long is 4 points shy of the 28 he recorded all of last season.

Broadcasters Bits: The Rockets enter a portion of their schedule tonight playing 6 games in 9 nights…The Rockets play 11 of their next 16 games on the road before the Christmas break…The Rockets have out-shot the opposition in 8 of their last 10 games. The Rockets have also out-shot their opponent in six of their last 7 games…Rockets goaltender Kristofer Westblom has started six of the team’s last seven games, posting a record of 5-0-0-1. Oddly enough Westblom has been in goal in 9 of the Rockets 11 wins this season…Colin Long has been held off the score-sheet in just five of the teams first 21 games this season, while Cody Almond has been held off the score-sheet just six times this season…Rockets defenseman Luke Schenn will represent the WHL against a touring team from Russia during the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge later this month in Medicine Hat and Cranbrook… The Rockets have points in 5 straight home games (4-0-0-1), having outscored the opposition 17-10 over that period…The Rockets have points in four straight road games (3-0-0-1)…The Rockets have given up a power play goal in 17 of the 21 games they’ve played this season…The Rockets have been involved in a one goal game in 8 of their first 11 home games. The Rockets are 3-3-1-1 in those one goal contests…The Rockets have been involved in twelve – one goal games this season, including nine of their last 13 games overall…The Rockets all-time are 8 and 9 in the shootout…The Rockets record after twenty-one games this season is 11-7-1-2, which is good for 25 points. Last season after twenty-one games the Rockets record was 6-12-0-2, which was good for 14 points.

Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:

Nov 17 @ Portland Rockets 4 Bruins 3 W
Nov 18 @ Vancouver Rockets 3 Rebels 2 W
Nov 21 @ Tri City Rockets 5 Prince George 1 W
Nov 23 vs. Kootenay Rockets 6 Prince George 1 W
Nov 24 vs. PG Rockets 1 Kamloops 2 SOL

Rockets Players by Province: BC=13 US=4 ALB=3 SASK=2 MAN=1 EURO=1 Total=24

Rockets Season Highs and Lows:

Most Goals Scored: 6 @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W), vs. Blazers Oct 30th (6-1 W)
Most Goals Allowed: 6
Most Power Play Chances: 9 @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W – 4/9) vs. Warriors Oct 27/07. Rockets were 0/9 losing 4-3 in shootout.
Most Power Play Goals Scored: 4 @ PG Nov 10/07 (6-1 W)
Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 4 @ Everett Sept 29/07
Most Shots Taken: 37
Fewest Shots Taken: 9 @ Vancouver Sept 29/07 (5-0L)
Most Shot Allowed: 48 @ Vancouver Sept 30/07
Fewest Shots Allowed: 13 vs. Blazers Oct 30/07 (6-1 W)
Last Shutout: - Kristofer Westblom 28 saves vs. Calgary (5-0 W)
Last Time Shutout: - @ Vancouver Sept 29/07 – Sexsmith 9 saves (5-0 L)
Penalty Shots: Torrie Jung stopped Michal Repik in the 3rd period of a 5-0 loss Sept 29/07.
Overtime Winning Goal: Jamie Benn scored at 1:07 of overtime Nov 2/07 in a 3-2 win over Chilliwack.
Shootout Game Winning Goals: Dylan Hood scores in a 4-3 win in Seattle October 6/07. Colin Long scored the game winner in a 2-1 win over Vancouver October 24th.

Rockets vs. Divisions:
vs. BC: 7-3-0-1 vs. US: 2-4-1-0
vs. Central: 2-0-0-0 vs. East: 0-0-0-1

Roster Stats:
Player total: 24
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s – 3 Westblom, McEwan, Leavold
19’s – 3 Dowzak, MacRae, Joe
18’s – 8 Long, Kytnar, Brusciano, L. Bloodoff, Jung, Schenn, Almond, Benn
17’s – 6 St. Denis, E. Bloodoff, McIntosh, Myers, McMillan, Hood
16’s – 4 Bowman, Barrie, Paradis, Verdino
Average Age: 17.8
Rookies – 7

Record by Month:

Month Games Record Home Road
September: 4 1-2-1-0 0-1-1-0 1-1-0-0
October: 11 5-5-0-1 3-3-0-1 2-2-0-0
November: 13 5-0-0-1 2-0-0-0 3-0-0-1
December: 12 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
January: 13 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
February: 11 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0

NHL Draft Picks-Training Camp Attendees: Jamie Benn (Dallas 07), Torrie Jung (Tampa Bay 07), Cody Almond (Minnesota 07), Milan Kytnar (Oilers 07), Tysen Dowzak (Tryout Philadelphia).

Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel (AM 1150)

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