Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets make their first visit of the season to the Comcast Arena in Everett. The Rockets were 1-0-1-0 in Everett last season, winning 6-4 and suffering a 3-2 loss in overtime. In the last three appearances in Everett the Rockets have managed to earn at least a point (1-0-1-1). The last setback in Everett came September 29/06 in a 4-1 loss. The Rockets enter tonight’s game having won back-to-back games and have won 3 of their last 4. The only blemish was a 7-1 loss in Vancouver last Friday. The Rockets are coming off a 3-1 win over Prince Albert Wednesday night. Colin Long, Jamie Benn and Kyle St. Denis scored for the Rockets, who remain undefeated on home ice this season at 4-0-0-0. The Rockets out-shot the Raiders 34-15. Following tonight’s game the Rockets are in Seattle tomorrow night before facing the Chilliwack Bruins on Wednesday. The Rockets next home game is Friday October 24th vs. the Bruins. The Rockets are playing their 8th road game of the season tonight. The team has lost three of its last four games on opposition ice. The two wins this season on the road have been in Kamloops and Kootenay.
Seasonal Series vs. Tips:
Oct 1/08: Kelowna 4 Everett 2 (home) Feb 6/09: (home)
Oct 17/08: Tonight (away) Feb 21/09: (away)
Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets traded 19 year-old goaltender Torrie Jung to the Lethbridge Hurricanes Thursday for a 6th round bantam pick. That pick will be upgraded to a 5th round selection if Jung plays with the Hurricanes as a 20 year-old next season. Jung failed to play a game with the Rockets this season after Kris Lazaruk was acquired from the Kootenay Ice just prior to the start of the regular season.
Home Cook’n: The Rockets are 4-0-0-0 at home this season, having out-scored the opposition 20-8. The Rockets are riding a six game home ice winning streak dating back to last season. The Rockets last home ice loss was a 2-0 setback to the Tri City Americans March 8/08.
That’s a Fact Jack: The Rockets have opened the scoring in three of the last five games…After going the first two regular season games without a goal, Jamie Benn has now scored goals in five of his last six games….Colin Long has 3+1=4 in his last two games. Long enters tonight’s game with 145 career points and is playing in his 171st game tonight…Long has points in seven of his first nine games this season…The Rockets have scored a power play goal in 10 of the team’s 11 games this season. The only game where the Rockets were held off the score-sheet with the extra man was in a 4-1 loss in Medicine Hat…Kris Lazaruk has started 10 of the Rockets 11 games this season…Tyson Barrie leads the WHL in points by defenseman with 11…The Rockets have allowed just 27 shots on goal in their last two games…The Rockets have one of the youngest defensive cores in the WHL. Only Moose Jaw has a younger group that Kelowna. The Rockets do not have a 19 or 20 year-old d-man on their roster…The Rockets have played in just one-one goal game this season. That game was a 2-1 loss in Portland in game #2…Riley McIntosh earned his first point of the season - an assist – in Wednesday’s win. Only two players have yet to register a point this season. Those two are Lukas Matejka and Spencer Main.
Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Cody Almond has a five game point streak (2+4=6). Almond is playing in his 170th career game tonight. Kyle St. Denis has 3+3=6 in his last four games. Colin Long has been held off the scoreboard by Lethbridge and Vancouver this season. Jamie Benn has 39 goals in just 59 career games. Benn has goals in five of his last six games. Benn has 6 goals over that stretch. Tyson Barrie has points in seven of his first eleven games. Brandon McMillan has gone 8 games without a goal. McMillan’s last goal came Oct 26/08 against Kamloops.
Dare to Compare: Last season the Rockets were 5-5-1-0 in their first eleven games. The Rockets scored 33 goals in their first eleven games last season. After eleven games a year ago the Rockets had allowed 36 goals against. The Rockets are 2 and 5 on the road this season, having been out-scored 30-20. Last year after seven road games the Rockets were 4 and 3, yet were outscored 24-22.
Rockets Schedule - Next 5 Games: Rockets Results - Last 5 Games:
Oct 18 @ Seattle Rockets 3 Hurricanes 7 L
Oct 22 @ Chilliwack Rockets 6 Kootenay 3 W
Oct 24 vs. Chilliwack Rockets 1 Giants 7 L
Oct 25 vs. Brandon Rockets 8 Cougars 1 W
Oct 29 vs. Seattle Rockets 3 Raiders 1 W
Rockets Players by Province: BC=9 US=5 ALB=5 SASK=1 MAN=1 EURO=2 Total=23
Rockets Season Highs and Lows:
Most Goals Scored: 8 vs. Prince George Oct 11/08 (8-1 W)
Most Goals Allowed: 7 @ Vancouver Oct 10/08 (7-1 L), @ Hurricanes Oct 4/08 (7-3L)
Most Power Play Chances: 11 @ Kamloops Sept 26/08 – Rockets were 4 for 11
Most Power Play Goals Scored: 4 @ Kamloops Sept 26/08 (6-2 W)
Most Power Play Goals Allowed: 4 @ Vancouver Oct 10/08 (7-1L)
Most Shots Taken: 45 vs. Cougars Oct 11/08 (8-1W)
Fewest Shots Taken: 27 vs. Everett Oct 1/08 @ Tri Sept 21/08
Most Shot Allowed: 33 @ Tri Sept 21
Fewest Shots Allowed: 12 vs. Cougars Oct 11/08 (8-1W)
Last Shutout: NA
Last Time Shutout: NA
Penalty Shots: NA
Shootout Game Winning Goals: NA
vs. BC: 2-1-0-0 vs. US: 1-2-0-0
vs. Central: 1-2-0-0 vs. East: 0-0-0-0
Roster Stats:
Player total: 23
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s – 1 Lazaruk
19’s – 6 Long, Benn, Almond, L. Bloodoff, Schenn
18’s – 7 E. Bloodoff, McMillan, McIntosh, Myers, Novotny, St. Denis, Hood
17’s – 9 Barrie, Brown, Verdino, Gogol, Borejko, Bowman, Callahan, Matejka, Paradis
16’s – 1 Main
Average Age: 17.7
Rookies – 7
Record by Month:
Month Games Record Home Road
September: 4 1-2-0-0 0-0-0-0 1-2-0-0
October: 13 4-3-0-0 3-0-0-0 1-3-0-0
November: 10 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
December: 10 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
January: 14 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
February: 14 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
March: 7 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
NHL Draft Picks-Training Camp Attendees: Luke Schenn (Leafs 08), Tyler Myers (Sabres 08), Colin Long (Coyotes 08), Brandon McMillan (Ducks 08), Jamie Benn (Dallas 07), Cody Almond (Minnesota 07), Lucas Bloodoff (Tryout Lightning 08).
Game Notes Compiled byAM-1150’s Regan Bartel
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