For only the second time this season, the Kelowna Rockets have lost twice in a row in the friendly confines of Prospera Place.
On a dreary, snowy winter day in the Okanagan Valley, where the real all-stars might very well be the team bus drivers, the upstart Edmonton Oil Kings blew into Kelowna and eked out a 3-2 shootout victory in front of 5,112 fans.
“We got what we deserved,” said Rockets head coach Jason Smith after the game. “We didn’t play good enough to win the game, plain and simple. We played the game tonight like we were exhausted, tired and slow.”
It would not be at all surprising if Smith’s assertions about exhaustion were entirely accurate. The Rockets have played six games in the past nine nights and nine games in 17 nights this month. The busy February comes on the heels of 13 games in January. Add to the mix the number of key injuries the team has had to contend with during the New Year and these clunker-type outings seem understandable.
However, accepting the rationale would fly directly in the face of expectations and accountability in junior hockey.
Kelowna opened the scoring when Connor Bruggen-Cate and Braydyn Chizen moved the puck to Cal Foote at the point. Foote’s one-timer beat Todd Scott cleanly in the Oil Kings net at the 5:34 mark of the first period. It was Foote’s 15th goal of the season.
Conner MacDonald would tie the affair at 11:58 with a point shot of his own, a wrister past a screened James Porter on an Oil Kings power play.
The Rockets owned the territorial play in the first frame, outshooting Edmonton 15-6. Yet the 1-1 score was testimony to the recent scoring challenges that have beset the top team in the B.C. Division.
The teams traded goals in the second period.
Chizen’s shot from the point deflected past Scott off an Oil Kings defender to give Kelowna a 2-1 lead at the 5:52 mark.
Former Rockets import forward Tomas Soustal evened the score at 15:09 when he took a pass from behind the net from Brett Kemp and fired a shot past Porter on the short side. It was the 20-year-old Soustal’s 16th of the season.
A scoreless third period and no blood in overtime resulted in a shootout. Kelowna shot first and none of its three shooters could solve Scott. Trey Fix-Wolansky beat Porter with the Oil Kings second shot and that was all it took to settle the verdict.
With 13 games remaining, Kelowna will play eight at home and five on the road. The Rockets will face U.S. Division teams three times and play 10 games against B.C. Division rivals.
With the loser point, Kelowna remains one point ahead of the Victoria Royals in t he B.C. Division standing, which knocked off the Vancouver Giants 4-3 at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday night. The Rockets have two games in hand on the Royals.
Rockets Fuel…Three stars were Soustal, Chizen and Erik Gardiner…Rockets scratched James Hilsendager, Kole Lind, Nolan Foote, Kyle Pow and Roman Basran….Kelowna was 0-for-2 on the power play, while Edmonton went 1-for-4…The Rockets are now Rockets are 20-7-0-1 at home this season…Kelowna outshot Edmonton, 31-29. The Rockets are 21-11-1-1 when outshooting opponents and have compiled a record of 6-2-2-1 in games when tied after 40 minutes…The Rockets host the Prince George Cougars on Tuesday night.
Post Game Interview: Jason Smith (click here)
Post Game Interview: Erik Gardiner (click here)
(DUBNetwork thanks Kevin Bain and the Kelowna Rockets for the audio/video.)
