GAME DAY: Rockets-‘Hawks Play Game 3
Rockets @ Winterhawks
Tuesday April 28, 2015
Game Time ‑ 7:05 pm
Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets and Portland Winterhawks meet tonight in game three of the Western Conference championship series. It is all tied at one win apiece which means this series is essentially a best of five affair. In game one, the Rockets earned a hard fought 3-2 win. The Winterhawks had a 2-0 first period lead before the Rockets rallied with three unanswered second period goals in the one goal win. Madison Bowey scored shorthanded and then Justin Kirkland scored 46 seconds later to tie the score at two goals apiece. Rourke Chartier responded with the game winner with just over four minutes left in the second period. The Rockets were 0 for 2 on the power play while killing off two Portland power plays. The Rockets also fired 46 shots on the Winterhawks net, including a game high 18 in the third period. In game two Saturday night, the Winterhawks again built up a 2-0 lead only to see the Rockets score back-to-back power play goals from Rourke Chartier and Dillon Dube to tie the game. Nic Petan would score the game winner with 48 seconds left in the second period. Game three is tonight with game four again at the Moda Center tomorrow night. Game five is back in Kelowna on Friday.
Additional Info: The Rockets are back to the Western Conference final for a second consecutive season against the same team that knocked them out in five games one year ago. The Rockets are 10 and 2 in post season with a four game sweep over Tri City in round one and a five game series win over Victoria in round two. For what it’s worth, the Rockets and Winterhawks met four times this season, but hadn’t seen one another since late November prior to the start of the series. The Rockets were 1-1-2-0 in the four games. This is the eighth consecutive appearance in the post season for the Rockets and 19th time in the franchises 20 year history. Since the Christmas break the Rockets are 34-9-3-1 (including playoffs). Overall, the team has won 11 of its last 13 games (11 playoffs and last two regular season games).
Playoff history vs. Winterhawks: These two teams are meeting for the fourth time ever in the playoffs. In the 2011 post season, the Winterhawks beat the Rockets in a second round series (4 games to 2). In 2012, the Winterhawks swept the Rockets in an opening round series in four straight games. In the 2014 post season, the Winterhawks eliminated the Rockets in the Western Conference final (4 games to 1).
Rockets best vs. Winterhawks: Rourke Chartier had 5+2=7 in the four game seasonal series against Portland. Madison Bowey was 1+3=4 while Nick Merkley chipped in with four assists. It should be noted that Cole Martin had two goals against the Winterhawks. Jackson Whistle played in all four games, posting a goals against average of 2.71 with an impressive save percentage of .928. Chase De Leo (3+1=4), Oliver Bjorkstrand (2+2=4) and Alex Schoenborn (2+2=4) paced Portland in the four games. Adin Hill was 2-0-0-0 with a goals against average of 1.78 and a save percentage of .941.
Playoff Tidbits: The Rockets have out-shot the Winterhawks in both games…The Winterhawks have carried the lead into the second period in both games….No goals have been scored by either side in the third period…The Rockets have been to overtime three times in this year’s playoffs. The Rockets are 2-1. The Winterhawks have also played in three overtime playoff games and are 3-0….This series features the top two scoring teams in the Western Conference. The Rockets scored 305 goals while the Winterhawks found the back of the net 287 times…Dan Lambert was part of a Swift Current Broncos championship team in 1989 that played in a minimum 12 playoff games to earn the WHL championship. Lambert and the Broncos swept every series, including the WHL final against Portland in four games… Lambert had 28 points (9+19=28) in those 12 playoff games…The Rockets best record in the playoffs was in the 2002-2003 campaign when the team won the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a record of 16 and 3.
Hot to Trot: Tyson Baillie’s ten game point streak was snapped in game two. Baillie had 7+6=13 over that period…Gage Quinney has goals in four of his last seven playoff games….Nick Merkley is riding a nine game point streak. Merkley has 1+11=12 over that period….Madison Bowey has points in nine straight games. Bowey has 4+8=12 over that stretch….Leon Draisaitl had his seven game point streak snapped in game two. The 19 year-old had 2+11=13 in those seven games.
This and That: Nick Merkley has been rated as the 23rd best player in North America for June’s NHL draft. NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings. Devante Stephens was rated 116th while Joe Gatenby was 174th …The Rockets have opened the scoring in seven of the eleven games in this year’s playoffs…The Rockets won the most road games of any team in the WHL (27)…Nick Merkley and Cole Linaker were the only two players to play in all 72 regular season games this season… The Rockets were held to just one goal seven times this season. Kamloops (road), Seattle (road), Edmonton (road), Calgary (twice – once on road and once at home), Regina (home) and Prince Albert (home) have turned the trick against the highest scoring team in the Western Conference…Tyrell Goulbourne has a team high 43 playoff games under his belt…Madison Bowey has 41 games of playoff experience…The Rockets played in 14 post season games last season …Cole Martin has 40 playoff games on his resume….In total, the Rockets have 488 games of playoff experience in the lineup this evening…Rourke Chartier had 6 goals in 14 games in last year’s playoffs. In this year’s post season, the now 19 year-old (turned 19 April 3rd) has nine goals in eleven games.
Rockets 2014-2015 regular season recap: The Rockets finished in first place in the Western Conference with 53 wins and 112 points. The 53 wins and 112 points was the second highest total in franchise history. The team scored 305 goals, the second most in the WHL. The 183 goals allowed were the fewest of any team in the WHL. It was the first time since 2003-2004 that the team led the league with the fewest number of goals. That season they allowed 125 goals against. Nick Merkley led the team in scoring with 20 goals, 70 assists and 90 points.
