Game Day Preview: Rockets @ Americans
Friday November 22, 2013
Kelowna Rockets (16-3-0-2, 34 pts.) At Tri-City Americans (14-10-0-2, 30 pts.)
Toyota Center, Kennewick, WA; 7:05 p.m.
Listen: NewsTalk 870; 6:45 p.m.
Watch: WHL Live
Previous Game
Kelowna: 11/20/13 vs. Victoria (1-4, Loss)
Tri-City: 11/19/13 vs. Vancouver (2-1, Win OT)
2013/14 Point Leaders
Kelowna: Tyson Baillie 10G-11A-21PT, Madison Bowes 9G-12A-21PT, Nick Merkley 7G-14A-21PT
Tri-City: Brian Williams 19G-9A-28 PT, Connor Rankin 8G-16A-23PT, Parker Bowles 4G-13A-17PT
Game Overview
The Tri-City Americans take on the Kelowna Rockets for the first of four meetings this season. Tri-City is 63-55-2-0 against the Rockets with a 40-18-1-0 record against Kelowna at home. The two teams have split the four-game season series each of the last three seasons with the home team winning the last five meetings.
Players to Watch
Kelowna:
Tyson Baillie- Baillie comes into Kennewick leading the Rockets with 10 goals on the season including scoring the team’s only goal in a 4-1 defeat to the Victoria Royals on Wednesday. The Saskatchewan native is currently tied with a team-high 21 points (10G 11A).
Nick Merkley- Merkley is putting together a strong rookie campaigne for the Kelowna Rockets, registering seven goals and 14 assists tying Baillie with a team best 21 points. The Saskathewan native comes into tonight’s game with six points in his last eight games.
Jarod Cooke- Tonight features a goaltending battle between two of the best net minders the WHL has to offer. Cooke currently ranks third in the WHL with a 2.22 goals against in 15 games this season. The 20 year-old has only lost one game in regulation this season back stopping his club to the top of the B.C. Division.
Tri-City:
Brian Williams- Williams continued his red hot play of late with another goal in the teams 2-1 overtime victory against the Vancouver Giants on Tuesday. The California native currently ranks third in the WHL with 19 goals on the year. Through 26 games, Williams is one goal shy of tying his single season high in goals scored, which he set in 66 games last season.
Parker Bowles- In just nine games this season, Bowles has already registered the third most points on the team this season, none bigger than the 18-year-olds overtime winning goal against the Giants on Tuesday. Bowles comes into tonight’s game with four goals and 13 assists.
Eric Comrie- The second part of tonight’s goaltending matchup is Comrie who has been rock-solid for the Americans this season. Tri-City’s goaltender has started 22 games for Tri-City this season, ranking fifth in the league with a 2.45 goals against. Comrie will be in Alberta next week representing Team WHL against Team Russia in the Subway Super Series.
Game Notes
Home Sweet Home: The Americans are riding a six-game winning streak at the Toyota Center, dating back to the teams’ 4-1 victory to the Swift Current Broncos on October 22. Tri-City is 9-3-0-0 at home this season having lost only one game in Kennewick since the beginning of October.
Against Division Leaders: The Rockets come into tonight’s matchup leading the BC Division with a record of 16-3-0-1. Of the WHL’s current four division leaders, the Americans have victories against two. Tri-City defeated the Everett Silvertips and the Swift Current Broncos earlier this season while also taking Medicine Hat to a shootout earlier this month.
November Update: The Americans are nine game into its 13-game November schedule, compiling a record of 6-2-0-1 so far this month. Tri-City will play the Chiefs in Spokane tomorrow night before concluding the month at home next weekend against the Victory Royals on Friday and again against the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night.
Against the BC Division: The Americans are 4-3-0-0 against the BC Division this season, coming off a victory against the Vancouver Giants this past Tuesday night. Since dropping its first two head-to-head matchups, Tri-City has won four of its last five meetings against BC Division opponents.
Penalty Killing Battle: Tonight’s game will feature two of the WHL’s elite penalty killing units in the Americans, who hold the league’s third best unit, and the Rockets, who currently league the WHL. Kelowna comes into Kennewick killing penalties off at an 88.3 percent rate. Tri-City sits just behind them with an 84.6 percent success rate shorthanded.
The Winnipeg Jet Connection:Eric Comrie, the Winnipeg Jets second round selection (59 overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft, will be going up against his fellow Winnipeg prospect for the first time since being drafted last spring. Kelowna Rockets Centerman, Ryan Olsen, was selected a year earlier in the 6th Round by the Winnipeg Jets (160th overall)
Next Game
Tri-City: at Spokane 11/23/13
Kelowna: at Kamloops 11/29/13
