Game Day: Rockets Look to Rebound Against Everett
By Doyle Potenteau – Kelowna Daily Courier
After a forgettable game on Wednesday, the Kelowna Rockets are looking for a more memorable effort tonight.
Following a five-goal outburst against Vancouver two nights ago, the Rockets wound up surrendering five unanswered goals in what was a 7-5 loss the visiting Giants.
That Kelowna scored five times was positive. That Kelowna gave up seven goals wasn‘t so positive.
“And a lot of (Vancouver‘s) goals were us trying to make something out of nothing,” said Rockets coach Ryan Huska, whose team will host the Everett Silvertips tonight, 7 pm. at Prospera Place. “I feel like we‘re giving a lot to our opponent instead of making them earn it. It‘s difficult to play that way when you‘re doing that. There were a lot of good things (against Vancouver), and that‘s important.
“But the most frustrating thing, like I said, is we‘re not making teams earn the goals. We‘re giving them very good opportunities, and that‘s really the difference. There wasn‘t any sustained pressure in our own zone; a lot of times, it was a poor decision on our part that‘s costing us right now, and we have to eliminate that part of our game. If teams are going to score on us, or they‘re going to get opportunities, they‘re going to have to earn them. We can‘t keep giving them opportunities.”
Tonight‘s game will feature two teams on two-game losing streaks. The Rockets (3-7-0-0), who currently own the worst record in the Western Conference, have surrendered 12 goals in their last two games, including a 5-1 loss to Portland last Saturday. Meanwhile, Everett (5-3-1-1) is coming off a 3-2 loss to Spokane last Saturday and a 2-0 shutout loss to Portland on Wednesday.
Asked about Everett and its roster of good players, such as standout defenceman Ryan Murray and forwards Tyler Maxwell, Kellan Tochkin and Landon Ferraro, Huska said he was more concerned about his team.
“Nothing‘s really changing for us,” Huska said. “We have to make sure we‘re focused on our game. We have to keep working as a team. We have a tendency to sort of separate and play as individuals when the going gets tough and we have to stay away from that.”
In related news, Rockets captain and defenceman Tyson Barrie was named to Team WHL for next month‘s Subway Super Series. The WHL‘s two games of the six-game series that goes coast to coast will be played Wednesday, Nov. 17, in Kamloops and Thursday, Nov. 18, in Prince George. Barrie will play in Prince George, but not in Kamloops. He was the only Rocket selected amongst the 32 players named.
Team WHL was selected by a panel of WHL general managers and Hockey Canada head scout Kevin Prendergast. The Super Series will help in Canada‘s roster selection for the 2011 world junior hockey championship in Buffalo, N.Y., this December and January.
Team WHL top NHL prospects for the 2011 NHL draft include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of Red Deer and Ty Rattie of Portland, while Everett‘s Murray is expected to be a top selection in the 2012 draft.
Team WHL also features four first-round draft picks from the 2010 draft: Ryan Johansen (Portland), Brett Connolly (Prince George), Mark Pysyk (Edmonton) and Quinton Howden (Moose Jaw). Further, defenceman Jared Cowen (Spokane) is the sole returning player from Team Canada‘s 2010 silver medal team. He was selected in the first round of the 2009 draft.
The Super Series starts in Quebec with two games, moves to Ontario for another two, then west to B.C. for the final two games. Team WHL will be guided by Huska, who will be an assistant coach for the national junior team at the 2011 WJHC.
Wednesday‘s game against Vancouver was Barrie‘s first contest back following a hamstring injury that sidelined him for 12 days and five games. All told, the 19-year-old has played in just three games this season.
“Absolutely, it was great to have him back,” said Huska. “Tyson is our leader. He‘s going to make our power play better and he‘s a guy we have to have playing against the other team‘s top (forward line). So, yeah, it‘s very good having him back.”
ICE CHIPS: Tonight‘s game will be the second of four meetings this season between Everett and Kelowna. In their first meeting, the Rockets rallied from a 3-0 deficit after two periods for a 4-3 shootout victory in Everett. . . . The Silvertips outshot the Rockets 38-24. . . . The Rockets are 1-5 at home, while the Silvertips are 0-2 on the road. . . . . The Rockets and Silvertips don‘t play again until Tuesday, Dec. 28, at Kelowna.
