Last weekend, the Kelowna Rockets and Portland Winterhawks combined for 19 goals in a pair of games in Oregon.
However, on Friday night at Prospera Place, where there may have been some expectation of fireworks, the teams buckled down and played an entertaining, low-scoring match.
For Kelowna, the 3-1 loss to Portland was its fourth straight defeat on home ice. The Rockets dropped below .500 on the season, now sporting a 4-5-1-1 record. Portland is now 9-1.
Rookie James Porter, 17, got the start for Kelowna, his first at Prospera Place this season. The native of Bonners Ferry, Idaho was outstanding, making 45 saves on the night.
“He played great,” Rockets head coach Jason Smith said of Porter’s performance. “He did exactly what you want from your goalies, to give you a chance to be in the game. He kept us in the game but we didn’t play hard enough to get any results out of it.”
Kelowna announced on Friday that 19-year-old goaltender Brodan Salmond has traveled to Calgary to have a lingering injury assessed. It is not yet known how long he might be sidelined. Roman Basran, 16, was called up from the Okanagan Rockets to backup Porter and is expected to fill that void for the time being.
While the scoreboard didn’t indicate the presence of fireworks, a thunderous open ice hit in the second period certainly woke up the patrons.
Six minutes into the stanza, Portland defenceman Brendan DeJong came cross ice and levelled Jack Cowell near centre ice. While the incident resembled the hit delivered by Keoni Texeira on Kole Lind last weekend in Portland, one that resulted in the Winterhawks captain being suspended for two games, it did not appear to be ill-intentioned. In fact, DeJong might be given credit for holding up to some extent.
Cowell was slow to get up, and veteran Gordie Ballhorn elected to engage 6’5, 203-pound DeJong. It was a spirited bout, with Ballhorn perhaps earning a split decision. DeJong received a charging minor, fighting major and 10-minute misconduct, while Ballhorn sat with a minor and major.
Five minutes later, at 11:59, Kieffer Bellows collected a loose puck in front of the Rockets goal and shoved it under Porter. For the 19-year-old Bellows, it was his seventh tally of the season.
Kelowna probably deserved a better fate after 40 minutes, outshooting Portland 11-9 in the second period. Lind had a point blank chance ring off the goal post and the Rockets painfully botched a three-on-one break with two minutes to play. Any semblance of puck luck of late for the Rockets has certainly been elusive.
Skyler McKenzie, playing his 250th WHL game, swatted the puck out of the air behind Porter at 12:36 of the third period to increase the lead.
The Rockets finally solved Cole Kehler at 14:50. Porter stoned McKenzie in tight and the rebound was picked up by James Hilsendager. TheRockets defenceman carried the puck the length of the ice before dishing off to Kyle Topping inside the Winterhawks blueline. Topping beat Kehler stick side to narrow the gap. It was Topping’s sixth of the season.
(Note: Look for the WHL to review this goal and possibly award Porter an assist. For highlights, click here, and look for Porter’s “assist” at the 1:40 mark of the video.)
Cody Glass, who seems snake-bitten on Prospera Place ice, scored from about two-feet in front of an open net with 14 seconds to play.
“We were slow to the forecheck and slow defending in our end,” said Smith. “When we did have sustained offensive zone time, we didn’t execute and hit the net and get a man to the net to find rebounds. There were opportunities where the puck was there, but we were too slow getting there.”
The teams get back at it tonight in Kelowna at 7:05pm. It will be their fourth meeting in eight nights.
Post Game interview: James Porter (click here)
Post Game Interview: Jason Smith (click here)
Rockets Fuel…Portland outshot Kelowna, 48-27…The three stars were Porter, Bellows, Kehler…Bellows finished with a goal and two assists…The teams split four majors…Announced attendance was 4,724…Braydn Chizen, Brodan Salmond, Konrad Belcourt, Ted Brennan and Kyle Pow did not dress for the Rockets…Texeira did not play, serving final game of two-game suspension for his illegal hit on Lind last weekend…The Rockets are 1-3-0-1 at home and 3-2-1 on the road…Including regular season and playoff games, tonight’s affair was Jason Smith’s 100th game as head coach of the Rockets…A neat note from Andy Kemper, who handles PBP radio broadcasts for the Winterhawks. It seems that forward Mason Mannek, from Herriman, Utah, played prior to Portland in Colorado with the Thunderbirds organization. While there, his billet family Enter Adam Foote, former NHLer and Stanley Cup champion and his wife, Jennifer. Of course, Foote’s two sons, Cal and Nolan, play for the Kelowna Rockets.
(Video courtesy of Kelowna Rockets (WHL). Special thanks to Kevin Bain.)
