Rockets Take Game Three

r There’s always an added degree of desperation at playoff time – especially, when you’re trailing a best-of-seven series 2-0.

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r So, the Rockets’ convincing 7-2 game three win over Tri-City on Tuesday night was like an oasis to a thirsty desert traveler.

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r Kelowna came home following a pair of tough, one-goal losses to open their Western Conference Semi-Final series vs. the Americans on the wrong foot. But, it’s a new ball game now, with a pivotal game four set to go at Prospera Place on Wednesday night.

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r The Rockets’ potent attack was led by forwards Cody Almond and Jamie Benn, along with towering and talented blue liner, Tyler Myers. Benn had a goal and 3 assists to earn first star honors while both Almond and Myers had a goal and two assists each to follow Benn to the three star podium.

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r Kelowna had the upper hand all night and ended up with a healthy 35-16 edge on the shot clock. Mimicking the Americans’ successful game plan in the two opening matches, the Rockets forced hard on the fore-check and bottled up both the Tri-City breakout scheme and their defensive zone coverage.

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r And, they chased Chet Pickard from the Tri-City goal on two occasions by opportunistically making good on the many scoring chances their hard work generated. But, Tuesday’s win can only be cashed in at full value if followed by a series tying win on Wednesday.

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r Some frantic action in the first period stirred up the anxious home crowd. And once the Rockets got on the board, the buzz continued.

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r Stepan Novotny beat Chet Pickard cleanly with a low drive but his shot rang loudly off the goal post. Like the sound of the puck hitting the iron, a noticeable groan of frustration sounded in the building. Luckily, Mikael Backlund skated to the rescue just moments later.

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r After taking a Cody Almond pass, Backlund himself caught the post, but the puck glanced home at 11:07. Later, Novotny got his revenge when he snuck a low drive through a maze of legs in front of Pickard on a Kelowna power play at 18:23.

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r With Kelowna leading 2-0 heading to the second, they kept pouring the coal and opened up a 5-0 lead by the midway mark in the game. Each of the goals by Cody Almond, Ian Duval and Tyler Myers came via the power play during a stretch of four Kelowna PP goals in four chances (including the Novotny, first period marker).

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r Almond’s shot from 15 feet hit a leg and landed behind Pickard at 2:17. When Duval beat the Team Canada World Junior goalie from the blue line at 3:24, Pickard was called the bench for a short time in favor of Brett Martyniuk.

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r Following Pickard’s return, Myers one-timed Jamie Benn’s pass into the goal, low on the stick side at 9:55.

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r The Americans finally got on the board while enjoying a two-man advantage. Justin Feser scored his third of the playoffs at 12:42 to make it 5-1. But, before the period was over, Lucas Bloodoff deposited a Colin Long centering pass at 19:07 to restore a 5-goal Kelowna lead.

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r Pickard was relieved by Martyniuk for good to open the third period. Zach Yuen, a 15-year-old affiliated player scored to make it 6-2 Kelowna at the 20-second mark of the third.

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r But, Benn closed out the scoring when he fired one home from an near-impossible angle at 10:00 of the final frame.

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r Kyle St. Denis (concussion) and Aaron Borejko were the Kelowna scratches. The Americans had to go without scoring stars Jason Reese and Taylor Procyshen who both sat out with injuries.

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