Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets and Everett Silvertips are meeting for the second of four times this season. These two teams met back on October 10th with the Rockets earning a 4-3 win in a shootout. The Rockets erased a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes by scoring three times in the third period before earning the two points on shootout goals by Geordie Wudrick and Shane McColgan. Following tonight’s game, these two teams hook up again December 28th at Prospera Place before closing out the seasonal series February 13th in Everett. The Rockets enter tonight’s game riding a three game home ice losing streak. The Rockets have been out-scored 17-10, with losses to Kamloops, Portland and Vancouver. The Rockets last home win was October 9th in a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. Tonight’s game is the third game of a four game home stand. The Rockets host the Brandon Wheat Kings Tuesday before traveling to Portland for back-to-back games October 29th and 30th.
Digging Deeper: The Rockets and Tips are meeting at Prospera Place for the first time since last years opening round playoff series. Games three and four were played here, with the Rockets earning a 5-3 win in game three and a 5-4 overtime victory in game four. In game six, also in Kelowna, the Rockets were a 5-4 winner. Four of the seven games in the series were decided by a single goal. During the 2009-2010 regular season the Rockets suffered 5-4 and 6-2 losses at home to the Tips.
Rockets recent game: Shane McColgan and Mitchell Callahan each had a goal and two assists while Spencer Main scored twice in the Rockets 7-5 loss Wednesday to the Vancouver Giants. The Rockets found themselves down 2-0 after one period before scoring five unanswered goals to take a 5-2 lead. The Giants would then score the next five goals in the come-from-behind victory. Kevin Smith also scored in the setback. The Rockets were 0 for 3 on the power play while the Giants were 3 for 4 with the extra man.
Who’s Hot: Shane McColgan is riding a five game point streak heading into tonight’s game. McColgan has 2+8=10 over that period….Rookie Zach Franko has points in four of his last five games. Franko has 2+4=6 over that period…Mitchell Callahan has 3+7=10 in his last five games.
Who’s Not: Evan Bloodoff has one goal in his last eight games. Brett Bulmer has one point in his last five games. Geordie Wudick has one goal in his first ten games. Wudrick’s longest goal drought last season was 11 games.
This and That: Kevin Smith’s goal Wednesday was his first in a Rockets uniform. Smith is no stranger to scoring goals after replying four times in the Moose Jaw Warriors final seven games last season….Spencer Main is playing in his 125th WHL game tonight….Main’s two goals Wednesday were not a first for the three year forward. Main had a two goal game January 30th against the Medicine Hat Tigers…Defenceman Mitchell Chapman is serving game three of a six game suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct last Friday against the Chilliwack Bruins. Chapman won’t return until a game November 2nd against the Prince George Cougars….The Rockets have scored 27 goals after ten games this season. Last season after ten games the club had 42 goals….The Rockets have allowed 40 goals against this season. Last season after ten games the team had allowed 33 goals against….Last season the Rockets were 6-3-1-0 after ten games….Rockets have been involved in six-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 3-3-0-0 in those six-one goal games…Rookie Jordon Cooke has started four of the Rockets last five games. The 17 year-old earned his first WHL win against the Tips on October 10th….Shane McColgan leads the team in scoring with 2+8=10…. The Rockets are 6 for 29 in their last five games (20.7%) on the power play….The Rockets have allowed three power play goals in their last six games. The Rockets have 17 kills in 21 penalty killing attempts over that stretch….The Rockets shootout win in Everett October 10th was the franchises 6th shootout victory on the road. The Rockets are 6 and 10 in shootouts on the road dating back to 2005-06, when shootouts were introduced as a way to settle games at the WHL level…..The Rockets were involved in 11 shootout games last season. The Rockets were 7 and 4 in those games…The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in their first ten games this season….The Rockets franchise is playing its 1379th regular season game tonight. The team has 700 regular season wins….Rockets captain Tyson Barrie returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing the last five games with an injury. Barrie has misses a total of seven games because of injury this season…Barrie has been named to the roster for Team WHL, which will play the Russian Selects next month in the Subway Super Series. Barrie and Team WHL will face the Russians in games in Prince George and Kamloops. Ryan Huska is the head coach for Team WHL.
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