Friday, October 8, 2010

Rockets game notes vs. Giants

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets are meeting the Vancouver Giants for the first time this season. These two teams face one another eight times in 2010-2011 (four games on the road and four games on home ice). These two teams meet again October 20th at Prospera Place. Last season, in eight meetings, the Rockets had a record of 4-3-1-0. The Rockets were 2-1-1-0 in Kelowna and 2-2-0-0 at Pacific Coliseum. Overall the Rockets have lost their first-three games of the season. The team has been out-scored 11-5 in those games. This is a busy weekend for the Rockets, who play three games in three nights. The Rockets host Prince Albert tomorrow night before traveling to Everett to face the Tips on Sunday (5:05 pm).

Digging Deeper: The Rockets are 6-7-0-0 in their last 13 regular season appearances at Pacific Coliseum. Since the start of the 2005-2006 campaign, the Rockets have been shut out five times in the Giants building.

Regular season woes: The Rockets are winless so far this season. Last season the team was 0-2-1-0 in their first three games before beating the Blazers in Kamloops 5-0. In 2006-2007 the Rockets lost four straight games to start the season before earning a 5-4 overtime win in Kamloops.

This and That: The Rockets made one roster move Thursday, putting 20 year-old forward Tyler Matheson on waivers. Matheson was acquired last season in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades. The Rockets are now down to the league limit of three-20 year-olds in Evan Bloodoff, Geordie Wudrick and Brendon Wall… The Rockets are coming off a 1-0 shutout loss last Friday to the Tri City Americans. The Rockets were shut out just three times on the road last season. The Rockets failed to score a goal in Spokane, Prince Albert and Everett….Prior to Friday’s game, the last time the Rockets were shut out on the road was February 10/10 in Everett. The Rockets fell 4-0, with Thomas Heemskerk making 36 saves in the win for the Tips….The Rockets are playing three games in three nights for the first time this season. Last year the Rockets were 3-8-1-0 in four - three games in three night situations. The three wins came against Prince George, Medicine Hat and Seattle from January 29th to January 31st…On this date on October 8/07 the Rockets were a 4-2 winner in Vancouver. Jamie Benn, Brandon McMillan, James McEwan and Tyson Barrie scored for the visitors. Kristofer Westblom made 27 saves in the victory…Brett Bulmer has goals in two of his first three games….Rookie Zach Franko has points (1+1=2) in two of three games….The Rockets franchise is playing its 1372nd regular season game tonight. The team has 697 regular season wins….The Rockets return six of their top seven point getters from last season. They include Tyson Barrie, Shane McColgan, Mitchell Callahan, Brett Bulmer, Geordie Wudrick and Cody Chikie….The Rockets were 35-31-0-6 last season and beat the Everett Silvertips in seven games in the opening round…Rockets head coach Ryan Huska is a member of the coaching staff for this year’s entry at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Defenseman Tyson Barrie attended Team Canada’s summer camp…Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton in July…Ryan Huska is coaching in his 220th career game tonight. Huska has 120 victories as a head coach with the hockey club…The Rockets were 5 and 1 during the pre-season with two wins over Vancouver and Chilliwack before splitting a pair of games with Kamloops. Jason Seibert, Max Adolph, Zach Franko and Colton Sissons tied for the goal scoring lead with three each…The Rockets feature three players from North Vancouver. Spencer Main is joined by Kevin Smith and Colton Sissons.

1 comment:

Ryan said...

Is there any reason Jobke, Chapman, Smith and Wall are on this team? Easily the 4 worst d-men the Rockets have ever had