Tonight’s Preview: The
Kelowna Rockets open the final month of the regular season with a road game
against the Everett Silvertips. This is the final trip south of the border for
the team this season (playoffs excluded).This is the fourth and final meeting of
the season between the top two teams in the Western Conference. The Rockets are
3-0-0-0 in the first three games, having out-scored the Tips 19-10. The Rockets
have won by scores of 5-4 OTW, 5-3 and 9-3. The 5-4 overtime win came in
Everett back on October 3rd. This is the start of back-to-back games
on the road. The Rockets are in Vancouver Friday night before hosting Spokane
on Saturday. The Rockets are coming off a 2-1 loss Saturday night to the
visiting Calgary Hitmen. Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring before he was
ejected from the game on a controversial five minute major and game misconduct
penalty for goaltender interference. The Hitmen won the game with just over
four minutes left in the third period. Despite the loss, the Rockets earned the
Western Conference regular season banner with Everett’s loss to the Prince
George Cougars. The Rockets are 20-6-0-1 since the Christmas break. Brandon is
conversely 22-3-2-1. Overall, the Rockets have points in 15 of their last 18
games (14-3-0-1).
100 Points – Again! The Kelowna
Rockets earned their 100th point of the season last Friday in a 4-0
win in Vancouver. It is the third consecutive season the team has earned 100 or
more points. A franchise record 118 points was set last season. The team has
hit the 100 point plateau five times now. They also accomplished the feat in
2013-2014 (118 pts), 2012-2013 (108 pts), 2004-2005 (104 pts) and in 2002-2003
(109 pts).
A Banner season: The Kelowna
Rockets are BC Division regular season champions. It is the 7th time
the Rockets have won title since its inception in 2001-2002. The Rockets have
claimed three consecutive BC Division banners (2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015)
and have also won the title in 2010-2011, 2004-2005, 2003-2004 and 2002-2003.
While the Rockets have won it 7 times, the Vancouver Giants have earned it five
times.
This and That: Madison
Bowey and Tyson Baillie each played in their 250th career WHL games
Saturday night….Leon Draisailt was the team’s top scoring in February.
Draisaitl had 7+13=20. Only Brandon’s Tim McGauley (24 pts) and Portland’s
Oliver Bjorkstrand (21 pts) had more points in February than Draisaitl did.
Tyson Baillie had 5+8=13 in February while Gage Quinney (2+9=11) and Nick
Merkley (1+10=11) were next on that list. The biggest surprise in February was
Riley Stadel (2+8=10), who had as many points as Madison Bowey did (2+8=10)…During the Rockets
eight game home ice winning streak, which was snapped Saturday night by
Calgary, the team was 11 for 33 on power play…Of the Rockets four losses on the
road this season, three of them have come in the second of back to back
games….six of the eleven losses this season have been suffered in the second of
back to back games…..Rourke Chartier is 4 goals shy of 50 this season. The last
Rockets player to score 50 goals was Justin Keller during the 2005-2006 season.
Keller scored 51 times that year….Jackson Whistle missed ten games after
undergoing appendix surgery on February 6th. The Rockets were
8-2-0-0 in those games…Michael Herringer had started four consecutive games up
until Whistle’s return Saturday night…The Rockets have been held to just one
goal six times this season. Seattle (road), Edmonton (road), Calgary (twice –
once on road and once at home), Regina (home) and Prince Albert (home) have
turned the trick against the highest scoring team in the Western
Conference...The Kelowna Rockets have scored the second most goals on the road
(135) in the WHL this season…The Rockets have lost only four times in
regulation time on the road this season. Those four losses came in Victoria,
Seattle, Tri City and Calgary...The Rockets have points in 11 of their last 13
road games (10-2-0-1)….The Rockets are 54-10-2-1 on opposition ice in the last
two seasons.
Dare to Compare: The Rockets
have a record of 48-11-3-1 this season, good for 100 points. After 63 games
last season the team was 50-9-0-4, which was good for 104 points. The team has
scored 276 goals this season. At the same time last year after 63 games, 273 goals
were scored and 163 goals were given up. This season the team has surrendered 156
goals against.
Hot to Trot: Leon
Draisaitl has an eight game point streak (7+10=17). Driasaitl had a career high
12 game point streak last season as a member of the PA Raiders…Tyson Baillie had
his 10 game point streak end Saturday night. Baillie had five goals and twelve
assists (5+12=17). Defenceman Josh Morrissey had an eleven game point streak snapped
last Wednesday. Morrissey had (6+6=12) over that period.…Leon Draisaitl has
twenty points (7+13=19) in his last eleven games…Draisaitl has goals in five
straight games…Draisaitl’s goal Saturday was his 200th career
point.
Another 40 win season:
The
Kelowna Rockets have won 40 games for the 11th time in franchise
history. Here is the breakdown of 40 win
seasons:
2014-2015:
48 wins and counting
2013-2014:
57 wins 2008-2009: 47 wins 1994-1995: 43 wins (Tacoma)
2012-2013:
52 wins 2005-2006: 46 wins 1992-1993: 45 wins (Tacoma)
2010-2011:
43 wins 2003-2004: 47 wins
2004-2005:
45 wins 2002-2003: 51 wins
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