Guggenberger returns to form
r Photo courtesy Moose Jaw Warriors – Mark Guggenberger made this stop in the shootout, earning his first win of the season
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r By Doyle Potenteau – Kelowna Daily Courier
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r Call it a big night for Mark Guggenberger. And a big win for the Kelowna Rockets.
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r At Moose Jaw, Geordie Wudrick scored the game-winning goal for Kelowna, in the shootout, and Guggenberger made 27 saves in his second start of the season, as the Rockets beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 2-1 in WHL action on Saturday evening.
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r One night earlier, Guggenberger lasted little more than a period in an 8-4 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings. In that game, his first start of the season following hernia surgery in October, Kelowna‘s top netminder was beaten five times on 12 shots before getting the hook. Against Moose Jaw, Guggenberger was solid. In the shootout, he stopped two of three shots.
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r “This was a big bounce-back game for him,” Rockets head coach Ryan Huska said of Guggenberger. “He was the biggest reason why we won. He was very solid; he made some very big saves for us and kept us in the game.”
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r Asked just how good Guggenberger played, Huska said “this was Mark at his very best. He was cool and composed and he made a lot of saves that maybe he shouldn‘t have.
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r “If I‘m going to compare it, I‘d say it was like how he played last season, where he was the difference in some games. That‘s how he played for us (Saturday night).”
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r Spencer Main, with his sixth goal of the season, a shorthanded marker at 15:39 of the first period, scored for Kelowna (18-16-1-0), which led 1-0 after the first period. Shane McColgan also scored in the shootout for the Rockets. Defenceman Ryan Stanton replied for Moose Jaw (17-13-1-2) with a five-on-three power-play tally at 17:14 of the second. Brandon Glover made 15 saves for the Warriors through regulation and overtime one in the shootout.
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r For Kelowna, the win was its third in four games of its six-game Prairie road trip, which continues Tuesday night in Prince Albert.
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r The Rockets say backup Adam Brown will get the start against the Raiders (18-15-1-2), with no decision yet being made for Wednesday‘s game in Saskatoon against the Blades (22-6-1-3).
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r Against Brandon, Huska criticized his team for its lack of defence against the Wheat Kings. Against Moose Jaw, he gave his squad props.
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r “They were much better (defensively),” said Huska. “The guys were more motivated to playing better in their zone, and we tried to keep our game simple because it was our fourth game in five nights.”
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r ICE CHIPS: Kelowna‘s scratches were LW Lucas Bloodoff (knee), Evan Bloodoff (knee), RW Kyle St. Denis (concussion, indefinite), RW Brandon McMillan (Team Canada tryout camp), D Colton Jobke and G Chad Ketting.
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