Paupanekis powers Rockets past Pats

“He was really good for us tonight,” assistant coach Brandon McMillan said. “He got some really good shots on the power play and created a lot offensively. He’s a dynamic player with his size and skill, and he can keep growing his game.”

The first period had a familiar look.

Kelowna jumped out early, Regina pushed back, and by the time the horn sounded it felt a little too much like the night before. The Rockets knew it.

“We felt that first period was kind of a carbon copy of yesterday,” McMillan said. “We had a good reflection in the dressing room after one.”

The reset came quickly.

Kelowna started skating in the second period and took control of the middle of the ice. The Rockets clogged the neutral zone, won pucks back, and turned those plays into extended time in the offensive end. Shots came off the rush, off broken plays, and off rebounds.

“I thought we really smothered them through the neutral zone,” McMillan said. “We got the pucks back a lot and were able to create offense. We really started skating and that’s where we turned the game around.”

By the end of the night, Kelowna had piled up 51 shots on goal, a number that reflected both pressure and persistence.

“We were getting shots from everywhere,” McMillan said. “Off the rush, off zone time. We did a good job of funneling pucks to the net and creating rebounds.”

The game still hung in the balance until Harrison Boettiger stepped in.

Midway through the second period, Boettiger turned aside a breakaway while Kelowna was on the power play, then followed it up with a stop on a penalty shot. Two saves that kept the game from swinging the other way.

“Botts made a couple of really key saves for us,” McMillan said. “Those saves helped our group settle down.”

Soon after, the Rockets found another gear and began to pull away.

Kalder Varga added a goal that stood out for both confidence and finish. McMillan said Varga responded well after being challenged earlier and was rewarded for the work he put in away from the puck.

“He responded very well,” McMillan said. “It’s nice to see someone get rewarded for the work they do away from the puck.”

Not everything that mattered showed up on the scoresheet.

After Shane Smith took a heavy hit, Levi Benson, the smallest player on the ice, stepped in without hesitation to defend his teammate.

“That’s what makes a team a team,” McMillan said. “Levi went over and stood his ground. That’s the most respect you can get from a teammate.”

The third period opened up with chances at both ends. While allowing five goals is never ideal, McMillan said some nights take on that kind of shape.

“You never want to give up five, but sometimes pucks just keep going in,” he said. “Luckily we had a few more than them.”

The win continued Kelowna’s strong play away from home. The Rockets have found ways to score on the road and seem comfortable playing in tough buildings, now scoring five or more goals away from home eight times this season.

“For whatever reason, we’ve embraced playing in a different environment,” McMillan said. “It’s been fun to watch.”

Saturday night in Regina was not perfect, but it was controlled when it needed to be.

And it ended with the Rockets improving to 2-1 on their Eastern Division road trip, which continues Tuesday in Moose Jaw.

by Regan Bartel

Paupanekis powers Rockets past Pats

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