Saturday, February 20, 2016

Rockets rally to win 4th straight

Shoot the Breeze Photography
  • Losing Vancouver Giants head coach Lorne Molleken likely aged Friday night after his team blew a 4-1 lead and lost 6-5. Winning Kelowna Rockets head coach Brad Ralph likely aged a lot too after his team scored five of the final six goals of the game in the WHL leaders 41st win of the season. Molleken won't be happy with the epic collapse and Ralph won't be pleased with his team's lack of discipline and sluggish play before rallying in front of an energetic crowd of 58 hundred fans. Rourke Chartier would score twice in the one goal win, making it 19 consecutive times the Rockets have beaten the Giants at Prospera Place. The Giants had a chance to end the losing streak but couldn't find the killer instinct in a game they should have won but ended up losing. 
  • In a game that featured two teams separated by 34 points in the standings, with one at the top of the league and another with the fifth worst record in the 22 team circuit, one looked determined while the other believed it would be a walk in the park. Fortunately for the Rockets, despite sleep walking through the first 26 minutes of the game, the Giants couldn't get a save from goaltender Ryan Kubic. Chartier would get the home team jump starter after import forward Radovan Bondra took back-to-back penalties 24 seconds apart in the second period. On Bondra's second penalty, Chartier would make it a two goal game with a power play goal. It was that goal that seemed to wake up the Rockets from their deep slumber.  A quick strike from Tomas Soustal shortly thereafter and the home team only trailed by one heading into the third period.
  • I was waiting to see Jake Morrissey make an appearance against his old team, but Molleken kept Kubic in there despite the fact he was fighting the puck. It will be interesting if we see Morrissey in Saturday's rematch. I'm sure the 18 year old would like to get back at his old team that released him. 
  • Rourke Chartier's two goals last night gives him 200 points for his WHL career. 
  • With Gordie Ballhorn missing his first game of the season with a upper body injury, Devante Stephens is now the only Rockets player to dress in every game this season.  
  • The Rockets now have the most wins in the league (41) and the fewest losses (15). 

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