Photo credit: James Doyle

By Regan Bartel

Rockets down 0-2 in series vs. Cougars

‘We have to battle harder’ – Rockets AC Josh MacNevin

Apr 15, 2024 | 7:00 AM

No wins, no goals, and a two-game deficit.

That’s how the Kelowna Rockets head home after the opening two games of their second-round playoff series with the Prince George Cougars.

Playing before massive crowds both on Friday and Saturday night, the Rockets came away with 4-0 and 5-0 losses.

That is a sharp contrast to a first-round series with the Wenatchee Wild, where the team led the WHL with a playoff-high 25 goals scored.

“We are not getting to the tough areas”, Rockets Assistant Coach Josh MacNevin said after the game. “We are pretty perimeter right now. We are taking the easy route. In the playoffs, you can’t do that. They are doing a good job of keeping us to the outside and then when we do get in there, the goalie is doing a good job.”

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In both games, rookie netminder Josh Ravensbergen was named the first star with 21 and 16 save shutouts on consecutive nights.

“We have to battle harder,” MacNevin added. “We need to work on getting some pucks to the net and then try to get some ugly ones. That is usually what it comes down to when a goalie is playing this is well and the team is locking out, you get an ugly one, a rebound, and bang in an ugly one.”

With no goals in 120 minutes of action, RocketFAN had to ask MacNevin about how that impacts the mental side of a shooters approach, when gripping the stick tighter is often the reaction.

“We don’t have a lot of shooters right now,” he said. “I don’t know where that sits confidence-wise, but if we commit to shooting pucks and get to those tough areas, we will be fine. We did it during the season. We scored some goals on these guys. We have to get pucks and bodies to the net. If he [Ravensbergen] sees it, he is going to stop it.”

The Cougars are showing the Rockets two phases of their game. While not shying away from trading scoring chances in the opening forty minutes, with the lead, they are clamping down with a greater commitment to defending in the third period.

“That happens [blocking shots] when you have the inside position,” MacNevin added on how his team is struggling to get pucks to the net. “We have no one in a good spot to cover to pull them out of position to get those shots through.”

In both games, the Rockets’ power play has let them down. Not only is it 0 for 7 in the series, but it also isn’t giving them any momentum, having surrendered two back-breaking shorthanded goals.

“We have to solve something there,” MacNevin added when looking at his teams’ inability to fight back in both games with a power play shortly after the Cougars opened the scoring. “We have to outwork the penalty-killing unit. With the power play, it isn’t a time to take it easy. It’s go. You have to work. You have to skate and have speed and right now we aren’t doing that.”

In game one, down 1-0, the Rockets had a chance to tie the score when Prince George forward Koehn Ziemmer took a holding penalty 2:42 into the second period. Instead of tying it, the Rockets give up a shorthanded goal. In game two, Cougars forward Riley Heidt scored 1:49 into the game, but the Rockets were awarded a power play 12 seconds later but again couldn’t find the equalizing goal.

“The power play was good all year,” MacNevin countered. “It was good in the last series. That is something we need to sort out for sure. The players that are getting the opportunity on the power play, they need to want it. They have to earn it. Even on the power play, we’ve got to get ugly.”

Andrew Cristall, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season is being kept in check, with just one shot in the opening two games and a -6 rating. As the offensive leader on the team, more is needed out of his line which consists of Gabriel Szturc and Max Graham.

“We are back to the drawing board here,” MacNevin said. “We need to show some character. We have done it in the past. We have had these lulls, and we have to dig down and get back home. I know that will help. The fans [in Prince George] are a big part of it, so hopefully we can do the same back in Kelowna.”

While the Cougars are undefeated with four wins at CN Centre in the 2024 playoffs, the Rockets are equally as good with three wins at Prospera Place, with victories over the Wild in games three, four and six.

“These Hockey God’s reward players who work hard,” MacNevin added with games three and four schedule for Tuesday and Wednesday night. “They reward guys who battle. They reward teams that do things the right way.

“We need to get back to it.”