GAME DAY: Rockets Close Road Trip In Medicine Hat
Rockets @ Tigers
Tuesday October 6, 2015
Game Time ‑ 7:00 pm
Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets wrap up a four game in five night road trip with a stop in Medicine Hat against the Tigers. This is the lone visit for the defending WHL champions to the ‘Gas City’ this season. The Tigers are in Kelowna for games December 4th and January 23rd. Last season the Rockets split two games with the Tigers, winning at the old Medicine Hat Arena by a score of 4-2 (December 12) before falling 5-3 (January 10) at Prospera Place. The Rockets have picked up at least a point in their last six visits to Medicine Hat dating back to the 2010-2011 season. The Rockets outright regulation loss in Medicine Hat was December 14, 2010 in a 2-0 shutout. Tyler Bunz made 26 saves while Jace Coyle scored the game winning goal and Emerson Etem scored into an empty net in the two goal win.
Recap the Roady: The Rockets opened the Alberta road trip Friday in Edmonton with a 5-3 win. Cole Linaker had the game winner with under two minutes left in the third period. Starting goaltender Jackson Whistle was hurt and did not play and sophomore forward Dillon Dube served game one of a two game suspension. Saturday night in Red Deer, the Rebels scored four times in the second period in a 7-4 win. On Sunday, in Lethbridge, the Rockets iced their complete lineup for the first time this season and earned a 6-3 win. Gage Quinney scored twice while Tyson Baillie and Tomas Soustal each had a goal and two assists. Jackson Whistle returned from injury and was named the first star with several solid stops including three breakaways.
This and That: The Rockets next play three games in three nights January 29th, 30th and 31st with two of those three games on home ice…The Rockets play eight of their first 11 games on the road…Of the 24 goals the Rockets have surrendered this season, 16 (67%) have come in the second period…The Rockets have scored the opening goal in three straight games…Tyson Baillie has 12 points in six games and leads the WHL in scoring. The19 year-old (doesn’t turn 20 until November 16) has 6+6=12 over that period.…Baillie opened last season with goals in six straight games….Baillie ‘s goal Saturday was the 100th of his career….If Baillie stays healthy and plays in every game this season, the 20 year-old will end his career with 331 games under his belt… The Rockets had two players taken in the NHL draft. Nick Merkley was taken in the first round by Arizona. Devante Stephens was chosen in the 5th round by Buffalo…Cole Linaker (Oilers), Tomas Soustal (Flames) and Tyson Baillie (Flames) all received free agent tryouts…The Rockets were 3-2-0-0 in five games during the pre-season…The team plays three games in three nights four times this season but twice in the first two weekends…The Rockets host Victoria this Friday before welcoming Red Deer Wednesday October 14th.
New Kids on the Block: The Kelowna Rockets named 34 year-old Brad Ralph as the head coach on August fourth. Ralph took over from Dan Lambert, who resigned at seasons end to take an assistant coaching position with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Ralph is the ninth head coach in Rockets franchise history after leaving the Idaho Steelheads after three seasons in the ECHL. On defense, the team welcomes 16 year-old Cal Foote, the son of former NHL’er Adam Foote. Foote was the team’s second round bantam pick in 2013 and his younger brother Nolan was the Rockets second round pick in this past May’s draft. The Rockets selected 18 year-old Swiss forward Calvin Thurkauf in this summer’s CHL Import draft. Other new faces include rookies Danny Gatenby (Joe’s younger brother) and 18 year-old Gordie Ballhorn, who played last season with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines.
My memory is good, just short: For a third straight season the Rockets won 50+ games. With a record of 53-13-5-1, the team accumulated 112 points, two fewer than the regular season champion Brandon Wheat Kings. The Rockets won 26 times on home ice and a league high 27 times on the road. The Rockets were one of only two teams to score 300 or more goals (305) with Brandon leading the way with
340. Lost in the team’s successes last season was allowing a league low 183 goals against.
Is a repeat in the cards? The Rockets return their top three point producers from last season. Nick Merkley (90 pts), Rourke Chartier (82 pts), and Tyson Baillie (76 pts) are all back with the team. Merkley was taken in the first round of this summer’s NHL draft by the Arizona Coyotes while he and fellow teammate Chartier both attended Team Canada’s summer camp for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships. Baillie received a free agent tryout with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Jackson Whistle, who played in 50 regular season games and posted a goals against average of 2.55, is back for his 20 year-old season.