Game Day: Rockets round out regular season with crucial home game
Rockets vs. Giants
Saturday, March 16th, 2019
Game Time – 7:05 pm
Game Day Preview: Welcome to the final game of the 2018-2019 Western Hockey League regular season. The Kelowna Rockets wrap up the 68 game schedule against the visiting Vancouver Giants. The Rockets are 1-7-0-0 in eight games against them. The Rockets have scored 12 goals in those eight games, with the lone win coming January 27th in a 4-3 shootout victory. The G-Men have shutout the Rockets twice by scores of 2-0 and 5-0. Leif Mattson leads the Rockets with 0+7=7 in the seasonal series while Nolan Foote has 4 goals in just 7 games against their BC Division rivals. Kyle Topping has 3 goals and Mark Liwiski has two goals against Vancouver. Roman Basran has played in all 8 games, posting a goals against average of 2.98 with a save percentage of .908. Last night the Rockets fell 2-1 to the G-Men. Kyle Crosbie scored the lone goal in the setback. Overall, the Rockets are 11-15-4-2 in 32 games since the Christmas break. The Rockets are 23-22-6-2 in 52 games under head coach Adam Foote.
Race for third place: The Rockets and Blazers are tied for third place in the BC Division. The Rockets host the Giants tonight while the Cougars welcome Kamloops. If the two teams are tied in points at the end of the night, a one-game playoff on Tuesday in Kamloops will decide who faces Victoria in the opening round.
Better than before: Kyle Topping has a career high 23 goals, 44 assists and 67 points this season, surpassing the 22+43=65 points he put up a year ago. Nolan Foote has 22 more points than last season with a career high 36 goals and 62 points. Foote is one assist shy of his career high 27 assists set last season. Leif Mattson has a career high 62 points after collecting 60 a season ago. Mattson has 5 more assists (40) than a year ago. Kaedan Korczak has 16 more points this season with career highs in goals (4), assists (28) and points (32).
Broadcasters Notebook: Mark Liwiski returned to the line-up last night after serving a three game suspension. Liwiski was suspended for a hit against the Portland Winterhawks forward Seth Jarvis….Lassi Thomson’s 17 goals are one shy of the franchise record for goals by a European d-man. Tomas Slovak holds the record (18 goals) in 2002-2003….The Rockets were 7-10-3-0 in 20 games against a US Division team this season. Three of the 7 wins came against Tri City with one victory over Spokane, Everett, Seattle and Portland….The Rockets have played 22-one goal games at home this season. Last year they played 15-one goal games at Prospera Place…The team has played in 12-one goal games on the road…The Rockets are 12-17-2-2 against BC Division teams this season…..Adam Foote was officially named the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets on October 23, 2018 replacing Jason Smith.,.The Rockets are 10-14-2-0 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: February 1, 2019 @ Spokane (4-0 L)
Last shutout at home: February 23, 2019 vs. Blazers (2-0 W – Roman Basran 18 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 (9): vs. Spokane (6-5 L) March 13/2019, vs. Portland (2-1 L) March 2/2019, vs. Kamloops (2-1 W) February 2, 2019, vs. Seattle (3-2 L) January 30, 2019, @ Kamloops (3-2 L) December 28, 2018, vs. Saskatoon (5-4 L) December 1, 2018, @ Tri City Nov 30, 2018 (3-2 win), @ PG (4-3 L) November 14, 2018, vs. PG (4-3 win) October 27, 2018.
Game Notes Compiled by Regan Bartel of AM 1150
