iSight Optometry Recap: Spokane comes back to take down Rockets

iSight Optometry Recap: Spokane comes back to take down Rockets

The Spokane Chiefs came back to take down the Rockets 4-2 on Wednesday at Prospera Place.

The Rockets heavily outshot the Chiefs 42-29, but goaltender Cooper Michaluk made 40 saves to earn the second star of the game.

“Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way,” said Rockets head coach Kris Mallette in his postgame availability. “I think we hit half a dozen posts or crossbars tonight. Credit to their goalie, he made saves, a lot of them. He killed a lot of our momentum offensively, we had opportunities to put this game away.”

The Chiefs cashed in a short-handed tally, while also finding the back of the net again on a two-on-one and a breakaway.

“It’s a young group back there on the back end,” said Mallette about his defence core. “A couple of over-aggressive plays probably lead to some chances for them. The big one at the end and earlier, just some ill-advised decisions. You learn this at a young age that as a defenceman you can’t dive in on a play unless you’ve got coverage or a forward that’s high. They get excited at times and ultimately it cost us.”

HIGHLIGHTS | BOXSCORE | POSTGAME MALLETTE

GAME SUMMARY

Marek Rocak‘s drive from the point while on the power play found its way onto Andrew Cristall’s (31) stick at the left faceoff circle to score the 100th goal of his WHL career. While short-handed Berkly Catton found himself alone in the Rockets zone with two Kelowna defenders, he dropped the puck back to a trailing Conner Roulette (34) who made a toe drag move around Marek Rocak to let a shot go from the slot that beat Jari Kykkanen. Standing in front of the Spokane net Kayden Longley (5) was able to restore the Rockets lead after he got the puck past goaltender Cooper Michaluk.

Saige Weinstein (7) scored the lone goal of the middle stanza after he took off on a two-on-one, electing to shoot.

Shortly after exiting the penalty box, Weinstein (8) struck again for the Chiefs, giving them their first lead of the game 2:24 into the third period. Cutting wide-around Rockets defender Caden Price, the signed Colorado Avalanche prospect drove to the Rockets net. As a chasing Price whacked at his stick, the puck popped up and over Kykkanen’s glove side shoulder. With 2:12 remaining in regulation Rasmus Ekström (12) found himself alone on a breakaway to pad the Chiefs lead.