Game Day: Rockets open home-and-home series with Vancouver
Rockets vs. Giants
Saturday January 26th, 2019
Game Time – 7:05 pm
Game Day Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Vancouver Giants for only the fourth time this season. The Rockets are 0-3-0-0 in the seasonal series, with losses of 5-0, 3-1 and 2-1. Overall, the Giants have out-scored the Rockets 10-2. Nolan Foote and Kyle Topping are the only goal getters against the G-Men. The power play has generated just one goal in 11 chances (11.1%) in the three games. Roman Basran has played in all three games, posting a 0-3-0-0 record with a goals against average of 3.41 and a save percentage of .895. This game also marks the first for defenceman Matt Barberis, who played 168 career games with the Giants after being claimed off waivers at the trade deadline. Following tonight’s game, the two teams collide tomorrow afternoon at the Langley Events Centre at 4 pm. The Rockets close out the month of January with a home game this Wednesday against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. Overall, the Rockets are 3-6-1-1 in 11 games since the Christmas break. The Rockets are 15-13-3-1 in 32 games under head coach Adam Foote.
Who’s Hot: Kyle Topping has 4+7=11 in his last 10 games…Nolan Foote has 5+6=11 in his last 8 games….Lassi Thomson has 4+3=7 in his last 8 games…The Rockets penalty killing unit is 39 for 49 in their last 11 road games…The Rockets have points in 11 of their last 14 home games (9-3-2-0).
New Boys on Blue Line: The team acquired 20 year-old Shael Higson from the Brandon Wheat Kings for 20 year-old Braydyn Chizen and a 5th round bantam pick. The team then claimed 20 year-old defenceman Matt Barberis off waivers from the Vancouver Giants. To make room for Barberis, the team released overage forward Lane Zablocki, who is now with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.
Broadcasters Notebook: The Rockets have just 22 games left in the regular season. Of those 22, 14 are against teams in the BC Division….The Rockets are playing three games in three nights. The team is 3-4-0-0 in that situation…..The team will play three games in three nights March 1st, 2nd and 3rd…..The team has been out-shot in 9 of the last 10 games…The Rockets are 5-7-0-0 in 12 games against a US Division team this season. Three of the four wins have come against Tri City with a single victory over Everett and Seattle…The team plays 8 more games against US Division rivals with four games against Spokane, two with Portland and a single against Everett and Seattle.…The Rockets have played 13-one goal games at home this season. Last year they played 15-one goal games at Prospera Place…The team has played in eight-one goal games on the road….The Rockets have seven birthday’s in January which include Ethan Ernst and Dalton Gally (Jan 26th), Ted Brennan (Jan 28th) and Kaedan Korczak (January 29th)…The Rockets are 7-11-2-1 against BC Division teams this season…Five members of the Kelowna Rockets have made NHL Central Scouting’s latest rankings. Lassi Thomson is rated 14th, Nolan Foote is ranked 26th and Kaedan Korczak is 31st. Kyle Topping is 195th while Alex Swetlikoff is 217th, Among goalies, Roman Basran is 11th among North American netminders…..Adam Foote was officially named the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets on October 23, 2018 replacing Jason Smith.,,The Rockets are 6-10-1-0 when playing the second game of back-to-backs.
Season Highs/Lows:
Most goals scored: 8 @ Victoria October 19/18 (8-2 W)
Most goals allowed: 9 vs. Seattle October 10th, 2018 (9-6 L)
Most shots on net: 45 @ Seattle October 6th, 2018 (4-1 L).
Fewest shots on net: 13 @ Edmonton November 17, 2018 (3-1 L)
Most shots allowed: 50 @ Portland November 10, 2018 (3-0 L)
Fewest shots allowed: 16 vs. Victoria December 7, 2018 (2-0 win)
Last time shut out at home: October 3rd, 2018 vs. Vancouver (5-0 L)
Last time shut out on road: November 10, 2018 @ Portland (3-0 L)
Last shutout at home: December 7, 2018 vs. Victoria (2-0 W – Roman Basran 16 saves)
Last shutout on the road: January 18, 2019 @ Everett (2-0 W – James Porter 40 saves)
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: 4 @ Victoria October 19, 2018 (8-2 W)
Overtime Games: @ Kamloops (3-2 Loss) December 28, 2018, vs. Saskatoon (5-4 Loss) December 1, 2018, @ Tri City Nov 30, 2018 (3-2 win), @ PG (4-3 Loss) November 14, 2018, vs. PG (4-3 win) October 27, 2018.
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
