‘We would really like to play these guys in the playoffs’ – AC Josh MacNevin

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“From a staff standpoint, we know we can do it”, MacNevin told RocketFAN. “There was probably a question that we can do it well enough to compete against the top teams, and tonight we showed that.”

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Goaltender Jari Kykannen was a huge story again, making 49 saves in a relief appearance after starter Talyn Boyko went down with an injury six minutes into the opening faceoff.

It was more than just that, though.

“We worked hard”, MacNevin added. “Jari [Kykkanen] was fantastic. We cracked down on some of our bigger mistakes from last night and the guys responded. We were right there.”

The Rockets played with more energy and urgency, and didn’t exhibit the same passive approach.

Decisions with the puck, specifically in the d-zone, was light years ahead of where it was two weekends ago when they were hammered by the Blazers by scores of 8-1 and 7-2.

In Saturday’s game, Kamloops enjoyed a 2-0 lead before the home team clawed back by scoring four of the next five goals, with Andrew Cristall leading the charge with his team leading 37th and 38th of the season.

Carson Golder, returning from suspension, found the back of the net with his 30th and Dylan Wightman, who is having an amazing second half, scored his third goal in five games.

“They [Blazers] are a good team and they come at you with speed”, MacNevin added. “You can’t hesitate. You have to be moving. You have to be reacting and you have to know what the other four guys are doing on the ice. For the most part tonight, ya we had some breakdowns, but Jari was there to back us up when we needed it and it’s a huge confidence booster.”

Cristall’s second goal came with 4:05 left in regulation time, giving the home team a 4-3 lead.

“We had a little more success breaking the puck out of our own end”, MacNevin added with his team scoring two-third period goals. “The first period was a little tricky to get out of our own end. We figured how to get it out and moving pucks quick and we had some chances. We had some chances to go up a couple.”

In overtime, Logan Stankoven, who looked like he was on the tail end of a long shift, stole a puck just outside the Rockets blueline and was able to skate in on a breakaway, beating Kykkanen with a quick backhand.

“He has a quick couple of steps”, MacNevin admitted. “Three on three is a crap shoot. Usually their is a chance at one end and it takes two guys to get a chance at the other.”

Completing a portion of the schedule, playing six games in nine nights in four different cities (Spokane, Tri-City, Prince George, Kamloops) wasn’t easy, yet the Rockets found the energy to earn a valuable point.

“That is a lot of hockey”, MacNevin said. “We are growing. We are learning. We are getting better and this is the best time to be playing our best hockey”.

The overtime loss, coupled with Everett’s 4-1 win over Vancouver, enabled the Rockets to move within four points of the Giants for seventh place in the Western Conference.

“It isn’t about what we did earlier on the season”, MacNevin added about the teams improved play since the calendar turned to February. “There are going to be lulls, granted you don’t want them to be as long and as hard as we made it on ourselves, it is hats off to the guys that are working and doing the little things.”

In the last 16 games, the Rockets are 9-6-1-0, which is solid considering the team was a pedestrian 2-13-0-0 from the Christmas break to January 27th.

It was an ugly stretch, where self doubt reared its ugly head.

“We are getting excellent goaltending and that is a huge part of it, and hopefully we can maintain this”, MacNevin said with cautious optimism. “You don’t want to be playing for nothing, as that’s when it is tough as you get into bad habits. The fact that there is something on the line, that is great for us.”

Despite earning just five of a possible 20 points against the Blazers (2-7-1-0-0) in the seasonal series, MacNevin didn’t mince words on who he would like to face when the real season starts.

“That Kelowna-Kamloops rivalry, we would get this town talk’n a little bit.”