GAME DAY: Rockets and Americans go head-to-head in second half of home-and-home
Rockets vs. Americans
Saturday October 13, 2018
Game Time – 7:05 pm
Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Tri City Americans for the second time this season. Last night in Kennewick,Washington the Rockets skated away with a 3-2 win. Kyle Topping scored the game winning goal at the 5:30 mark of the third period. Dallon Wilton, with his first career WHL goal and Libor Zabransky also scored in the win, the teams’ first in five games. Connor Bruggen-Cate, the second star, chipped in with two assists. The Rockets out-shot the Americans 37-22. Next weekend the Rockets are in Victoria for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday before playing their third game in three nights Sunday October 21st in Vancouver.
Let’s Make a Deal: The Rockets made two trades this week. The team acquired 20 year-old defenceman Dalton Galley October 10, 2018 from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 10th round bantam pick. Gally has played two full seasons with the Tigers and hails from Eagle River, Alaska. In a separate deal, the hockey club acquired 18 year-old forward Michael Farrin October 11th from the Saskatoon Blades for a third round WHL bantam pick. Farrin, from Richmond, BC, has played 133 WHL regular season games and had five points in 8 games this season before requesting a trade.
Trade Winds Blow: The Rockets made a trade with the Victoria Royals Saturday September 29th. The team acquired 20 year-old Lane Zablocki for a conditional 7th round and conditional 4th round bantam draft pick. Zablocki is a third round NHL draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings (2017 – unsigned). In the 2016-2017 campaign, Zablocki scored 28 goals split between the Regina Pats and Red Deer Rebels. Zablocki has played with the Pats, Rebels, Hurricanes and the Royals. Zablocki never played a game with the WHL team that drafted him in 2013 – the Prince George Cougars.
Broadcasters Notebook: We’ve got the Cup! The Rockets were awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup on Wednesday. The ten day tournament will take place May 22nd to 31st. It marks the second time in franchise history the team has hosted (2004) and will mark its 6th appearance at the prestigious event. The team has made previous appearances in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2015….Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have been named to NHL Central Scouting’s “Players to watch’ list. Forward Nolan Foote is an ‘A’ prospect, meaning a first round candidate. Kaedan Korczak is a ‘B’ prospect which means he is projected to be selected in the second or third round. Roman Basran, Kyle Topping and Lassi Thomson are ‘C’ prospect, which means they could be taken in the third to the seventh round…. The Rockets have failed to open the scoring in 8 of the 10 games this season….The Rockets have trailed going onto the third period in 8 of the 10 games.
Season Highs/Lows:
Most goals scored: 6 vs. Seattle October 10/18 (9-6 L)
Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L)
Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L), 40 vs. Kamloops September 22nd, 2018 (3-1 L)
Fewest shots on net: 21 vs. Vancouver October 3rd, 2018 (5-0 L)
Most shots allowed: 39 @ Prince George September 29th, 2018 (5-2 W)
Fewest shots allowed: 23 vs. Victoria October 5, 2018 (4-3 L)
Last time shut out: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)
Most power play goals allowed: 4 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L). T-Birds were 4/5 on power play.
Most power play goals scored: 2 vs. Seattle October 10, 2018 (9-6 L)
Roster Stats:
Player total: 26
Year by Year Breakdown:
20’s (1998) – 4 Gally, Zablocki, Chizen, Bowen
19’s (1999) – 5 Topping, Mattson, Gardiner, Bruggen-Cate, Cowell
18’s (2000) – 10 Farrin, Thomson, Porter, Foote, Zabransky, Kindree, Brennan, Kushniryk, Pow, Steffler,
17’s (2001) – 6 Korczak, Crosbie, Basran, Liwiski, Wilton, Augustine
16’s (2002) – 1 Ernst
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
