Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Rockets/Warriors preview

Life without Kole Lind begins tonight - Shoot the Breeze Photography
Game Night Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play game three of a six game Eastern Division road trip tonight in Moose Jaw. The Rockets are 1-1-0-0 after a 7-5 win in Regina Friday night and a 7-4 loss in Brandon on Saturday. Nolan Foote scored twice Friday and once Saturday to give him a team leading three goals on the trip. Older brother Cal has 0+4=4 in the two games but will be lost to the team as he, Kole Lind and Dillon Dube attending the training camp for the Canadian world junior team. The Rockets last played a game in Moose Jaw on December 16, 2016. Jackson Whistle made 27 saves in a 1-0 shutout victory. In 2013, the Rockets were a 6-3 winner with Myles Bell scoring twice. In 2001, the Rockets fell by a score of 4-1. Shane McColgan scored the lone goal in the setback. After tonight’s game, the Rockets are in Swift Current Wednesday before visiting Prince Albert Friday night. 

Roady by the #’s: The opposition has opened the scoring in both games. The Rockets are 2 for 4 on the power play (50%) in the two games and have surrendered 4 power play goals on 8 killing opportunities. The Rockets have given up 63 shots in the two games while firing a combined 72 shots at the opposition net.

Scoring by Period:  1   2   3   Total
Rockets:                   5  3    3    11
Opponent:                6  3    3    12

Eastern Division Success: The Rockets were 3-3-0-0 in 2015. The team was an impressive 6-0-0-0 in 2013 and 2-2-0-2 in 2011. They were 3-3-0-0 in 2009. In 2007, the team played only five games on an Eastern Division swing (excluding Swift Current) in December and sported a record of 3-1-0-1. The last time the Rockets failed to go on its bi-annual Eastern Division road trip was 2005. In 2003, the team was 5-0-0-0 but again did not play Swift Current on that road swing. In 2001, the team was 0-4-1-0 in five games.

Broadcasters Notebook: Nolan Foote has goals in four straight games…Carsen Twarynski is one goal shy of a new career high. The 20 year-old scored his 20th goal of the season Friday in Regina…Kyle Topping and Libor Zabrasky are both rated as ‘C’ prospects for June’s NHL draft by NHL Central Scouting. Topping was not on the ‘Players to Watch’ list in October before appearing in November’s rankings…The Rockets have won 10 straight games on home ice with wins over Portland, Tri City, Prince George (twice), Vancouver, Red Deer, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Kootenay….The Rockets played their 16 hundredth regular season game in franchise history November 3rd in Victoria in a 4-2 win……The Rockets are 4 and 2 in overtime with game winners coming from Kole Lind, Dillon Dube Carsen Twarynski (twice). The only loss in OT came against the Tri City Americans and Portland Winterhawks…The Rockets are 7-4-1-0 in the second of back-to-back games….The Rockets are 9-3-0-0 against BC Division teams this season….The Rockets are 13-0-0-1 when leading after 2 periods…The Rockets are 14-1-1-1 when scoring the first goal of the game.

Milestones: Head Coach Jason Smith coached his 100th career regular season game against the Kootenay Ice on December 2nd…Carsen Twarynski played in his 200th career game October 28th against the Prince George Cougars…James Hilsendager plays in his 200th career game November 14th vs. Oil Kings.  

Roster Stats:
Player total: 26
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s (1997) – 3   Ballhorn, Twarynski, Hilsendager          
19’s (1998) - 5   Salmond, Lind, Dube, Cal Foote, Chizen
18’s (1999) - 6   Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell, Skvrne
17’s (2000) - 10  Porter, Foote, Belcourt, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, McGauley, Kushniryk, Pow, Hair
16’s (2001) - 2   Korczak, Basran
NHL Drafted Players: Cal Foote (Tampa Bay 2017), Kole Lind (Vancouver 2017), Dillon Dube (Calgary 2016), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia 2016), Brayden Chizen (Minnesota 2016).  

Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150


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