Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoore
Cougars are 4-0 at CN Centre in playoffs
A Kelowna Rockets road win is a must
Apr 19, 2024 | 7:00 AM
- Welcome to Prince George. For the second time in three days, it’s another must-win game for the Kelowna Rockets. Game five goes tonight at CN Centre (104.7 The Lizard has the pre-game show at 6:35 pm). It isn’t ideal, but you have to embrace the challenge. The Rockets’ are the lower seed, so they need to win in Prince George regardless, so why not get that victory this evening? After dropping games one and two in Prince George by scores of 4-0 and 5-0, the team rebounded with an impressive, yet disappointing result after a 4-3 overtime loss on home ice in game three, before showing character in a 2-1 victory facing playoff elimination in game four Wednesday night. The Rockets’ lone road playoff victory came in game two of an opening-round series with Wenatchee, earning a 3-1 win.
- The game this evening will be the 13th head-to-head meeting between the two teams after facing off eight times during the regular season.
- The loss in game four was the Cougars’ first regulation setback in 26 games. The last time they lost was February 2nd against the Vancouver Giants. Forward Ondrej Becher was held off the score sheet, snapping an impressive 26-game point streak.
- While down three games to one, you have to wonder where this series would sit had the Rockets’ top two goal scorers during the regular season found the back of the net. Neither Tij Iginla nor Andrew Cristall have turned the red light on in the four games. Iginla had a team-high 47 goals while Cristall was next with 41. Iginla’s longest goal-scoring drought this season was six games. Cristall’s longest goalless slide was five games.
- The best quote of the series so far goes to Kelowna Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette. “We have to play above our paygrade,” when talking how his team has to preform against a Cougars hockey club that had 31 more points and 16 more victories during the regular season.
- It is the end of the line for NHL scout Glen Sanders. Sanders, who lives in Trail and is often seen taking in Kelowna Rockets home games, will retire at the end of this season. “It is going to be tough. I have a lot of friends in this business,” he told RocketFAN. “It is a real neat group of scouts. We have had a lot of great times together, but it is also time for me to spend more time with my grandkids, being with my wife and doing stuff around the house that I haven’t done in 40 years.” Sanders is celebrating his 20th year, all with the Predators, was originally hired by the now retired David Poile.
- Do you blame the Kelowna Rockets for being touchy when someone makes contact with Jari Kykkanen? The Rockets didn’t like a late third period penalty in game four when Cougars forward Terik Parascak ran into Kykkanen while cutting towards the net with the puck. The Rockets argued that the Cougars should have been the only team penalized, even though d-man Caden Price, who was defending on the play, received a minor penalty for roughing after grabbing the rookie and throwing him to the ice in an effort to protect his goalie. “You need to penalize those players for driving the net,” Rockets Assistant Coach Josh MacNevin told RocketFAN. “Those goalies are not protected. They don’t have the same helmets. They are stationary, a net to worry about. Its just dangerous. I would like to see [contact with the goalie] that cracked down on.” The Rockets believe if Price deserved a penalty, Parascak should have received a double-minor for making contact with the goalie.
- The Rockets will play their 79th game of the season tonight. It is the clubs 11th post-season contest.
- Often players rise to the occasion or wilt like a flower when the playoffs arrive. One of those who is prospering is third year d-man Ethan Mittelsteadt. While held without a point in 10 playoff games, the 18 year-old is playing with significantly more bite, blocking shots and has an impressive seven shots on net in this series.
- Rockets forward Max Graham has a team high 14 shots on net in round two. Teammates Tij Iginla and Gabriel Szturc each have 11.
- Tyrell Goulbourne visited Kelowna this week and was at Prospera Place for games three and four on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Now 30, the fifth-round WHL prospect pick in 2009 is good friends with Prince George Cougars assistant coach and former teammate Carter Rigby. “Goulby is one of my better friends that I’ve met over my lifetime,” Rigby told colour analyst Gord McGarva during a pre-game interview before game four. “We stay in touch, but I also see Myles Bell when we are in Victoria. I still talk to Bails [Tyson Baillie], Bowes [Madison Bowey], Heff [Colton Heffley], we are pretty tight with that group that we had here in Kelowna for three years.” Rigby played from 2011 to 2014 before being traded in his 20 year-old season to the Swift Current Broncos.
- Expect big numbers at CN Centre tonight after a standing room only crowd in game one and a sellout in game two. Al Bristowe joins me in the broadcast booth for the third time in this series. You can stream the game right here on RocketFAN by clicking on the ‘Listen Live’ bottom at the top right of this page.
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