Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets
play their final game of 2016 when they welcome the Victoria Royals to Prospera
Place. This is the 4th meeting of the season between these two
teams. The Rockets are 2-1-0-0, having beaten their BC Division rivals by
scores of 5-1 and 6-4. In the last meeting, November 22nd, the
Royals were a 6-2 winner. The Rockets visit the Royals for back-to-back games
on January 11th and 13th. How closely are these two teams
matched? In the last five seasons, the Rockets are 13-12-1-1 against Dave
Lowry’s boys. The Rockets are coming off a 5-1 loss Wednesday night in
Kamloops. Dylan Ferguson stole the game for the Blazers, making 46 saves. Nolan
Foote scored the lone goal in the teams’ 13th setback of the season.
Brodan Salmond took the loss in goal. Overall, the Rockets have won 4 of its
last 5 games and have points in 5 of its last 6 games (4-1-1-0).
That’s a fact Jack: At this point last
season, Michael Herringer had appeared in just 14 games. This season he has
played in 28 games…Fifteen different players have scored game winning goals for
the Rockets this season….The team has scored 130 goals this season after 38
games. Last season, at this same point, the Rockets found the back of the net
139 times…The team has allowed 11 more goals at this point of the season than
at the 38 game mark in 2015-2016….The Rockets have two out-right regulation
losses in their last 10 road games. The team is 6-2-2-0 over that stretch…Four
of the next 7 games will be played on the road. With back-to-back road games in
Victoria (Jan 11th/13th), the team visits the Everett Silvertips for
the first time this season on January 16th…The Rockets have allowed
10 goals against in their last 5 games…These two teams (Rockets/Royals) are a
combined 32-0-1-0 when leading after 40 minutes…The Rockets are 12-3-2-0 in
their last 17 games and have points in 12 of their last 14 (10-2-2-0).
Top Prospects: Defenceman Cal Foote
and forward Kole Lind have been named to the roster for the CHL Top Prospects
game. Foote is one of only two players on the Rockets roster to play in every
game this season. The other is Rodney Southam. Lind leads the team in scoring.
The Top Prospects game will be played in Quebec City.
Broadcasters Bits: Nick Merkley had two
assists Tuesday to give him 150 for his WHL…15 year-old rookie defenceman Kaedan
Korczak made his WHL debut Tuesday night vs. the Blazers. Korczak is the Rockets
1st round bantam pick from May…Calvin
Thurkauf is the captain for team Switzerland at the World Junior’s…Rookie Erik
Gardiner has 1+5=6 in six games with the Rockets since making his debut with
the team in Medicine Hat before the Christmas break…Kole Lind had his 13 game
point streak snapped December 18th against the Oil Kings. It is the
longest point streak by a Rockets player this season …Calvin Thurkauf has 8
goals in his last four games and Monday was named the WHL Player of the Week
for his antics…The Rockets are 8-2-2-0 in December...The Rockets were 6-4-0-0
in 10 games in November after going 8-4-0-0 in 12 games in October…The Rockets are
the only team in the WHL that has failed to surrender a shorthanded goal against
this season…The Rockets are 6-8-0-0 against BC based teams this season…The Rockets are 23-13-2-0 after 38
games. Last season the team was 27-9-2-0 after 38 games….Michael Herringer has
started in 16 of the last 22 games and 22 of the last 29…The Rockets are 8-0-1-0
against U.S Division teams this season…The Rockets have carried the lead into
the third period in 17 of the last 27 games while being tied three times over
that period…The Rockets are the most penalized team in the WHL and have a
league high 25 fighting majors…Tomas Soustal (Czech Republic) and Calvin
Thurkauf (Switzerland) are playing for their respective countries at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Montreal/Toronto.…Dillon
Dube became the 15th player in Kelowna Rockets franchise history to
make Canada’s world junior team…January Birthdays: Devante Stephens (Jan 2nd),
Jordan Borstmayer (Jan 9th), Riley Stadel (Jan 16th),
Michael Herringer (Jan 26th).
Who’s Hot? Lucas Johansen has a
4 game point streak (0+5=5)…Nolan Foote has goals in back-to-back games…Cal Foote
has points in 7 of his last 11 games (1+12=13)….Jake Kryski has 6+5=11 in the last 8 games and 8+7=15 in his
last 11 games..Kryski had 6+5=11 (1 shootout game winning goal) on this just
completed road trip…Calvin Thurkauf has 8 goals in his last four games…Tomas Soustal has points in 12 of his
last 15 games. The 19 year-old has goals in 10 of his last 18 games and has 10+15=25
over that period… Kole Lind has points in 23 of his last 27 games (16+23=39)…Lind
has goals in 11 of his last 16 games.…Nick Merkley has points in 17 of his last
24 games (9+16=25).
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
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