Game notes vs. Giants

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets play the third and final game of a three game home stand tonight against the Vancouver Giants. This is the 7th of eight meetings between these two teams this season, with the Rockets holding a record of 2-3-1-0 against their BC Division rivals. Following tonight’s game the Rockets are in Spokane Tuesday before facing the Giants in Vancouver Friday night. Overall the Rockets have three regulation wins in their last nine games (3-4-0-2). The Rockets have points in 16 of their last 21 games (14-5-0-2). The Rockets have only been out-shot four times in their last 20 games.

Digging Deeper: The Kelowna Rockets have been out-scored 28-21 in the first six games. Three of the first six games have been decided by a single goal. These two teams haven’t met one another since December 27th, when the Giants earned a 7-3 win at Prospera Place. Overall the Rockets are 1-1-1-0 at home and 1-2-0-0 at Pacific Coliseum.

Who’s Hot – Who’s Not: Since returning from the WJHC, Brandon McMillan has 11+17=28 in 25 games…McMillan has 19 goals this season, a career high after scoring 15 times in 2007-2008….When he scores the Rockets win 89% of the time. The Rockets have lost just twice when the 19 year-old scores...Adam Brown was superb in February. Brown started nine games, helping his team earn a point in six of them. Brown’s goals-against-average was 2.27, with an impressive .917 save percentage… Tyson Barrie has three points – all assists – in his last five games….Brandon McMillan has 6+11=17 in his last fourteen games and is riding a six game point streak (4+5=9)….McMillan now has 154 career assists….Barrie has 128 career assists….Adam Brown has started sixteen of the teams last twenty-one games.…Adam Brown is 10-3-0-4 in his last seventeen starts…Shane McColgan has points in four of his last five games (four assists), but has one goal in his last twelve…Just eight of McColgan’s 24 goals this season have been scored on home ice…The Rockets have allowed just seven power play goals against in their last seventeen games…Dallas Jackson has 3+9=12 in 14 games since being acquired at the trade deadline. Geordie Wudrick has 17+13=30 in 34 games with the Rockets since he was acquired from Swift Current in November….The Rockets have played 23 games since the trade deadline. The Rockets have a point in 17 of those 23 games and are 13-6-0-4 over that period… The Rockets are 6 and 4 in the shootout this season. The Rockets only shootout losses have come against Kamloops, Portland, Chilliwack and Lethbridge. Adam Brown has been in goal for all four shootout losses.

Game Day Tidbits: Shane McColgan is attempting to win the WHL rookie scoring title. The last time a Rockets player led the league in scoring as a rookie was in 1996-97, when Scott King collected 97 points (40+57=97)….The Rockets are 6 and 6 in situations that feature three games in three nights….The Rockets have lost 30 times this season. Last season the Rockets lost just 21 times….Tyson Barrie has a one point lead on Kevin Connauton of the Vancouver Giants for the WHL scoring lead by defencemen with 67 points.…The Rockets have been involved in thirty (30) one goal games this season. The Rockets are 15-10-2-3 in those thirty games…Tyson Barrie leads the team with 9 power play goals….Tyson Barrie has a team high 51 assists, 11 more than he had all of last season…McColgan leads the WHL in scoring by rookies with 67 points, one better than Giants d-man Kevin Connauton...Ryan Huska recorded his 100th regular season victory December 4th against Edmonton…Defenceman Mitchell Chapman and forward Brett Bulmer are rated by NHL Central Scouting for this summers draft in Los Angeles. Chapman is rated 151st while Bulmer is ranked 164th among North American born skaters…The Rockets have 2 home games and 2 road games left for a total of 4. Of those four games, one is against an American based team with three against BC Division rivals….Brandon McMillan collected his 100th career assist vs. Edmonton on February 3rd…The Rockets have twelve players with 10 or more goals. Last season the Rockets had 12 players with 10 or more goals…Geordie Wudrick is 5 for 5 in shootouts…Rockets injured forward Kyle St. Denis is celebrating his 20th birthday today….Sixteen year-old Jason Siebert made his WHL debut last night against Seattle. Siebert was the Rockets 1st round pick – 17th overall – in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.