Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

Reality check

Rockets show early spark, but Western powerhouse proves too much

Nov 22, 2025 | 6:00 AM

The Everett Silvertips rolled into Prospera Place on Friday night and reminded everyone why they are one of the most complete teams in the Western Hockey League right now. A 6-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets pushed their perfect road record to thirteen straight victories, a streak that is beginning to feel unreal even for Everett.

Kelowna actually struck first, scoring just over three minutes in. That early jolt woke up the building and suggested some of the momentum from Wednesday’s emotional win over Edmonton might still be hanging around. The Rockets kept pace offensively in the opening frame with goals from Hayden Paupanekis, who now has goals in three straight games, and Owen Folstrom, who scored his fourth goal of the season, surpassing his total from all of last year. Even so, Everett still carried a 3 to 2 lead through twenty minutes.

“We got on the board early. It is always good to score the first goal,” Rockets assistant coach Brandon McMillan said. “I guess we just thought it was going to keep coming for us because we have been playing good hockey recently. That is a really good hockey team over there, and they came at us quickly. They are a fast skating team. They were on top of us, taking a lot of room away from us, and we were not able to make the right decision under pressure.”

The second period is where the game shifted for good. Everett pushed, pressured, and dictated the play throughout the frame. The Rockets were outshot heavily and trailed 6-2 after forty minutes, eventually surrendering a season high 42 shots against.

“We talked about it after the first. We thought we were going to come out a little stronger,” McMillan said. “We just did not. They took the game to us in that second period and really that is when they won the game. They got to loose pucks. They out battled us. They got to our net and they were winning all the loose puck battles tonight. It is hard to win a hockey game against a team like that when you are not doing the little things right.”

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Everett punished every mistake and turned even small breakdowns into scoring chances.

“When you are playing against teams of this caliber the little mistakes end up in the back of your net,” McMillan said. “Minimizing those is crucial in games like this. This is a good wake up call for our hockey club that still has lots of work to do.”

Kelowna made a goaltending change to try to spark energy into the group but the Silvertips kept pushing.

“You are trying to get something out of your group. You are trying to spark your group,” McMillan said. “Not to say anything was [Josh] Banini’s fault tonight. The game is going out of your way and that is one of your cards. Made the change. Did not end up working. It was kind of out of reach a little bit. But we came out to the third period, got another goal, had a little bit of life, but just could not get that next one.”

That third period goal came from Hiroki Gojsic, who continues to be one of the Rockets most consistent finishers. Gojsic now has eight goals on the season and goals in four straight games.

“You want to show what kind of pride you have when you go into a dressing room and you are down by four goals,” McMillan said. “You can see the character in which people have. That was kind of what we were taking away in the third period. You get to learn a lot about your hockey club in games like that.”

Special teams were a sticking point all night. The Rockets went zero for six on the power play and gave up a short handed goal in the process.

“That was probably the sore spot of tonight,” McMillan said. “That first period, when you get those power plays, if we can put one in the back of the net maybe this game is a little different. Maybe if we are a little more prepared and ready in the first period the game is different. Instead of scoring they score on us and they go up two to one on us. It is something we are constantly working on and we are trying to find the right recipe.”

There is no time to dwell on the loss. Tonight is the annual Teddy Bear Toss game with the Portland Winterhawks in town, and it is always one of the loudest and most energetic nights of the season.

“It should be a really fun game,” McMillan said. “Hopefully we have a good crowd out and give the guys some energy for a big game.”

Puck drop is 6:05 pm. You can listen on 104 7 The Lizard or stream the game on RocketFAN.CA.