Rockets game notes vs. Cougars

Shoot the Breeze Photography

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets play game three of a four game home stand tonight against the visiting Prince George Cougars. This is the fifth of eight meetings between the two teams’ this season. The Rockets are 4-0-0-0, having won all four games in Prince George by a combined score of 27-9. In all four games, the Rockets have scored no less than 6 times. The Cougars will make three more visits to Prospera Place on December 30^th, January 3rd and February 9^th. The Rockets are coming off a 5-1 win over the visiting Saskatoon Blades Wednesday night. Rourke Chartier scored his league leading 30^th and 31^st goals of the season while Nick Merkley (1+2=3) and Madison Bowey (0+3=3) had three point outings. Jake Morrissey, making his first start of his career on home ice, earned the win improving to 3-0-0-0. The Rockets host Prince Albert tomorrow night. Following these two games this weekend, the Rockets concluded the pre-Christmas schedule with five straight games on the road. They include dates in Lethbridge (Dec 10), Medicine Hat (Dec 12), Calgary (Dec 14), Edmonton (Dec 16) and Red Deer (Dec 17).  

Season Series scoring breakdown vs. Cougars:

Period:      1     2    3   OT   Total

Rockets:   9    12   6      0      27 

Cougars:   3     2   2      0       7

·          The Cougars have opened the scoring in three of the four games.

·          The Rockets have out-shot the Cougars in three of the four games.

·          The Rockets have a power play goal in all four games (13/27 or 48.1%). The Cougars are 3 for 20 (15%). 

First to 30: Rourke Chartier became the first Kelowna Rockets player to reach 30 goals in under 30 games. Chartier has 31 goals in 28 games after scoring twice on Wednesday. That breaks the old mark of the quickest player to 30 goals, set by Brett McLean, who scored 30 goals in 30 games in the 1997-98 season. Here are other Rockets players to reach 30 goals in a short period of time. 

1)     Rourke Chartier: 30 goals in 28 games (2014-2015).

2)     Brett McLean: 30 goals in 30 games (1997-98).

3)     Jamie Benn: 30 goals in 36 games (2008-2009).

4)     Jason Deleurme: 30 goals in 36 games (1997-98).

5)     Chuck Kobasew: 30 goals in 39 games (2001-2002).   

The Saskatoon Sniper: Rourke Chartier had 18+10=28 in the month of November. In 14 games, Chartier scored a goal in 12 of them. The 18 year-old had points in 13 of those 14 games. Chartier had 9 multiple point games in the month. Chartier had 6-3 point games and three-two point games. By comparison, last seasons’ WHL scoring champion Mitch Holmberg had 12+14=26 in November. The only player to record more points over the last five seasons in the month of November is Portland’s Brendan Leipsic. Leipsic had 9+21=30 in November 2012.

Walking wounded: 

Tanner Wishnowski: missed 29 games   Mitch Wheaton: missed 25 games

Dillon Dube: missed 25 games                Dalton Yorke: missed 12 games

Austin Glover: missed 11 games            Joe Gatenby: missed 7 games

Justin Kirkland: missed 6 games            Jake Morrissey: missed 6 games. 

Jesse Lees: missed 3 games                 Cole Martin: missed 1 game

Total # of games = 126 man games lost to injury. (Unofficial)

World Junior Bound: Congratulations Madison Bowey and Rourke Chartier for being two of 29 players named to Team Canada’s training camp roster for the WJHC. Kelowna Rockets forward Kris Schmidli will participate in the upcoming World Junior’s with Switzerland. Rockets majority owner Bruce Hamilton is a member of Team Canada’s management team.

Bowey on the Blueline: Madison Bowey is 6^th all time in Kelowna Rockets d-scoring with 145 career points. Bowey has 49 career goals and 96 career assists = 145 points. Here are the franchise leaders:

1)Tyson Barrie: 228        4)Josh Gorges:152

2)Burt Henderson:186    5) Mike Card:147

3)Damon Severson:167  6) Madison Bowey:145      

This and That: The Rockets traded 20 year-old Colton Heffley to the PA Raiders on Tuesday for a 4^th round bantam pick…Rourke Chartier was named the WHL Player of the month for November…Nick Merkley is rated 22^nd by the International Scouting Service for this June’s NHL draft….The Rockets have been held to three goals or less only 7 times this season….Nick Merkley has 15 multiple point games….Rourke Chartier has been held off the score-sheet four times this season…In case you are wondering, the Rockets have not been shut-out in 104 consecutive games. The last time the Rockets were held without a goal was March 3, 2013 in a 3-0 loss in Kamloops…Tyrell Goulbourne hit the 100 point plateau for his career with a goal Wednesday night…The Rockets are rated 2^nd in the CHL Top 10 rankings this week for a second consecutive week…Nick Merkley is rated 22^nd by the International Scouting Service.