GAME DAY: Rockets/Tips preview
r By Chris Stanford
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r Kelowna Rockets new goalie Chad Ketting will have his day, it just won’t be this Saturday against the Everett Silvertips.
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r According to head coach Ryan Huska, the 18-year-old Sechelt, B.C. native was brought in after the start of the season to provide a quality second option to Adam Brown, who has started all eight games in the regular season, but it will be Brown who will get the call against Everett.
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r “I think the way the schedules been laid out for us to start the year, it’s allowed us to use one guy,” said Huska after team practice Friday at Prospera Place. “But after this weekend we have a lot of games in a short period of time and we’re going to have utilize both guys after this weekend for sure.”
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r The Rockets (6-3-1-0) are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Tri-City Americans Oct. 13 at home that snapped a six game winning streak, and in this their first meeting of the season against the 5-2-0-0 Silvertips, they’d surely like to start another going.
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r After Everett, they will travel to Tri-City for a rematch Oct. 23 to kick off five games in eight days to round out the month of October.
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r Currently sitting in third in the B.C. Division of the WHL Western Conference, the Rockets have 13 points in 10 games played, but they have two games in hand on both the Kamloops Blazers and the Vancouver Giants, who lead with 18 points each. Everett is third in the U.S. Division, trailing the leading Portland Winterhawks and the second-place ‘Ams.
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r “They’re going to be a well-coached team now for sure,” said Huska. With NHL veteran Craig Hartsburg behind their bench, the ‘Tips should improve over last season. “A lot of people at the beginning of the year were, or are, picking Everett to contend for the Western Conference title. They’re a group of players that are very deep up front, they’ve got good skill and good goaltending as well so I think they’re a team that’s going to live up to their billing.”
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r The Silvertips are lead in scoring by Shane Harper, who has five goals and eight assists, and Tyler Maxwell who has seven goals and four assists. The Rockets leading scorer is Stepan Novotny, currently fifth in Western Conference scoring with eight goals and seven assists.
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r Not in the Rockets lineup will be their second most productive point-getter Brandon McMillan, who sustained a foot injury blocking a shot in the game against Prince George Oct. 10 and sat out against Tri-City on crutches with a cast on his right foot.
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r “He’s still about the same,” said Huska of the high-energy McMillan. “He’s feeling much better but the doctors will see him again tomorrow night as to how he’s coming along . . . he’ll still be out for a little bit.”
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r While the league deadline passed this week with the Rockets carrying only two 20-year-olds in goaltender Mark Guggenberger (out post groin surgery) and forward Lucas Bloodoff, Huska didn’t rule out the possibility of acquiring another along the way.
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r “There’s still the potential we could go after a 20-year-old in a trade if someone were to become available,” he said. “I think our decision not to pick one up more so revolved around the fact that we just don’t want to bring in someone that’s an average player for that position . . . I think if you’re going to be 20 in this league, you have to be a dynamic guy that can change the flow of a game or contribute in a big way.”
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r On a positive note, the Rockets will likely welcome the return of Mitchell Chapman (D) to the lineup against Everett. Out with a shoulder injury since late September, he should help out the Rockets blueline with his six-foot, three-inch size.
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r Kyle Verdino, also out since injuring his right ankle against Medicine Hat Oct. 7, underwent an MRI Thursday, according to Huska, and was awaiting the results.
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r Game time Saturday is 7 p.m. at Prospera Place
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