RECAP: Rockets Strong 2nd Period Propels Them to 8-3 Win Over Giants

Category: ArticleNovember 22, 2024

Kelowna, B.C. – The Kelowna Rockets exploded for six second period goals on Friday night in an 8-3 win over the Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place.

The Giants’ record falls to 9-7-4 this season, while the Rockets improve to 9-9-1-1.

Cameron Schmidt tallied a goal and an assist – his league-leading 23rd tally of the year – while Adam Titlbach (7th) and Tyler Thorpe (9th) also scored.

Kelowna was led by Andrew Cristall, who tallied a goal and four assists. Cristall now has 38 points in just 14 games (11G-27A). The Rockets got goals from seven different players: Cristall, Jakub Stancl, Michael Cicek, Hiroki Gojsic, Max Graham, Nate Corbet and Kayden Longley, who had two.

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GAME SUMMARY

The Giants struck first in this one, after Mazden Leslie spotted Schmidt open at the left circle and zipped a pass to him from the top of the right circle. Schmidt made no mistake, waiting for goaltender Jake Pilon to slide too far before roofing it home.

It was Schmidt’s 11th goal in the last seven games and Leslie’s 100th career assist.

Leslie currently sits fourth in franchise scoring amongst defencemen with 142 points (42G-100A), eight back of Bo Byram (150).

Cameron Schmidt opens up the scoring for the @WHLGiants #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/DfqESUD1er

— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 23, 2024

The Rockets evened the score during 4-on-4 play just a couple minutes later when Cristall dished to Stancl in front of the net.

Not long after Kelowna’s equalizer, the Giants regained the lead after Schmidt forced a turnover just inside the Rockets zone and got the puck to Connor Levis, who saw Titlbach open in the slot and got the puck to him. Titlbach quickly fired a low shot past Pilon to make it 2-1 for Vancouver midway through the first period.

Adam Titlbach gives the Giants a 2-1 lead!!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/ktpNkk080t

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) November 23, 2024

The Rockets scored twice early in the second period to take a 3-2 lead, first Cicek and then Cristall just 2:04 later.

It remained tight for another several minutes before the Rockets opened the floodgates with four more goals in the final seven and a half minutes of the second period. Goijsic made it 4-2 on a great individual effort, before Graham, Longley and Corbet followed suit to make it 7-2 Kelowna after two periods.

The teams exchanged goals in the third period, including Thorpe’s shorthanded goal, but the game was well out of reach by then.

Tyler Thorpe with a shorthanded goal to cut the Rockets lead to 8-3.@CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/WVpCXvC1DF

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) November 23, 2024

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN — 9/10/9 = 28 | KEL – 9/12/10 = 31
PP: VAN—0/1 | KEL — 1/3
Face-Offs: VAN — 31 | KEL — 28

THEY SAID IT

“I thought we had a real good first. We started and we were executing. I thought our puck management was really good and then the wheels fell off in the second. I thought we were a little careless with the puck. Kind of handed them a couple gifts. Unfortunately you’re not going to rebound from a second period like that. I don’t know if we felt too good about our first, coming out in the second, but certainly careless mistakes cost us…In the second, we started maybe trying to do too much on our own and those mistakes obviously end up in the back of our net in a hurry.” – Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio

“It’s sticking to a plan through 60 minutes. It showed tonight. Obviously you can’t play 20 minutes of hockey and win a game.” – Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio

3 STARS

1st: KEL – Andrew Cristall – 1G, 4A, 4 SOG
2nd: KEL – Kayden Longley – 2G, 3 SOG
3rd: KEL – Hiroki Gojsic – 1G, 1A, 3 SOG

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: LOSS – Matthew Hutchison (14 saves / 21 shots). Replaced by Carter Capton (9 saves / 10 shots)
Kelowna: WIN – Jake Pilon (25 saves / 28 shots)

UP NEXT

Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Saturday, November 23	Spokane Chiefs	7:00 PM PT	Langley Events Centre
Sunday, November 24	Prince George Cougars	4:00 PM PT	Langley Events Centre
Friday, November 29	Everett Silvertips	7:00 PM PT	Langley Events Centre