Rockets stumble into March
The Kelowna Rockets might be happy to wave goodbye to the busiest portion of its Western Hockey League schedule – a 27-game run between January 3 and the end of February.
All told, the Rockets have compiled a 38-20-4-2 record, good for 82 points and first place in the B.C. Division. Kelowna leads the Victoria Royals by seven points.
Kelowna will play eight games in March – five in the friendly confines of Prospera Place where the team has compiled a 23-6-0-2 record so far.
“We’ve won some games of late where we haven’t played our best team game and our message down this stretch will be focusing on that,” said assistant coach Kris Mallette in a press release issued prior to the Rockets doubleheader in Prince George against the Cougars. “In playoffs, we’ll need to elevate our game if we want to have success.
“We’ll reiterate that it isn’t just a switch that you can turn on and off. So, let’s use these last 10 games to get our team game back and finish off the season the right way.”
In its last five games, the Rockets have been outscored 25-24. If the recent performances against the league’s lesser lights have been curious, demonstrating an inability to put away their opponents after establishing big leads, the road trip to Prince George seemed to magnify the challenges.
Kelowna dropped the first game 4-1, surrendering four unanswered goals after taking a 1-0 lead. The next night, the Rockets jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead, only to lose by a 7-6 count.
Despite the back-to-back losses, Kelowna has had its way with division rivals this season, posting a record of 18-7-1. The Rockets will play six more games against B.C. Division teams before the playoffs begin.
Next up, the Rockets will play in Everett on Friday against the Silvertips, the stingiest team in the U.S. Division.
On Saturday, Kelowna hosts the highest-scoring U.S.-based team, the Spokane Chiefs. After that, the Rockets final six games are against B.C. Division rivals.
The U.S Division has been tough on the Rockets this season, evidenced by it 7-8-1-2 record through 18 games.
Heading into March, the Rockets are destined to make it six seasons in a row with at least 40 regular season wins. Since the 2012-13 campaign, when Kelowna won 52 times, the organization has collected, in order, 57, 53, 48 and 45 games.
The last time the Rockets did not reach the 40-win mark was back in 2011-12 when the team won 31 games. Looking back on the past 10 seasons, Kelowna has won 439 games…and counting. Indeed, the hockey market in the heart of the Okanagan Valley is used to winning.
Lind signs NHL deal:
Forward @klind13 of the @Kelowna_Rockets has inked a three-year entry-level contract with the @Canucks.
DETAILS ? | https://t.co/wPsHiGOXD7 pic.twitter.com/bfmZ0AziTT
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 1, 2018
Rockets Fuel…Through 64 games, Kelowna has scored 246 goals, good for an average of 3.84 per outing. On the flip side, the Rockets have given up 229 goals, an average of 3.58 per game…The team is 23-6-0-2 at home and 15-14-4 on the road… In 268 power play opportunities so far, the Rockets have scored 73 times, good for a 27.2% proficiency. That’s second overall among the 22 WHL teams, behind only Swift Current (30.5%)…On home ice, the Rockets power play is 35-for-130, second among B.C. Division teams behind Victoria, but still sixth overall in the league at 26.9%…Away from home, Kelowna is 38-for-138, good for third overall…Kelowna has surrendered 67 power play goals, sporting the 18th best penalty kill in the ‘Dub at 76.2%…The Rockets have been efficient front runners this season. When scoring first, Kelowna is 28-4-2-2…The Rockets have scored 13 shorthanded goals and have given up seven shorties.
