Playoff feel, as Rockets beat Cougars

The win also set the tone for a weekend that already feels far bigger than a normal February road trip.

After a tight, physical, and sometimes chaotic first 40 minutes, the game was decided when the Rockets finally got the opening they needed on a five-on-three in the third period.

With traffic in front and little time to think, Iginla stepped into a clean look and snapped home the go-ahead goal. It was his power-play marker that stood up as the game winner and gave Kelowna its biggest goal of the night at the biggest moment.

Assistant coach Brandon McMillan said the way his group handled the third period showed how much the team has grown.

“It was an awesome third period,” McMillan said. “We were tied going in and our guys just dug in. We blocked shots, we were hungry on pucks, and when it was time to get the puck out, we got it out. It was a gutsy, hard-earned win.”

The Rockets did not lean only on their top players to get there.

Kelowna opened the scoring with a goal that did not come from the names that usually show up on the highlight reel. A three-way passing play set up Connor Pankratz, who finished off a clean look to give the Rockets an early lift.

McMillan said that goal meant more than just one on the scoreboard.

“That group does so much for us,” he said. “They bring energy, they forecheck hard and they force teams back. When they’re going, it gives our whole bench life. When your fourth line scores, it’s a huge thing for a team.”

Prince George answered back to keep the game even, and the second period turned into a grind. Both teams leaned into the rivalry, finishing checks and fighting for space in every corner of the ice.

“It was physical, for sure,” McMillan added. “But it still felt structured. That’s something we’ve really worked on lately.”

Discipline has been a major focus for the Rockets over the last few weeks, and it showed Friday night.

“We’ve talked a lot about staying out of the box,” McMillan said. “Taking too many penalties isn’t a recipe for winning. Tonight, the guys checked with their feet, kept their sticks down and did the little things that make a big difference.”

That discipline paid off when the Cougars handed Kelowna a five-on-three opportunity in the third.

The Rockets needed only one clean look.

“We had chances on the power play and we wanted more,” McMillan said. “But when we got the five-on-three, you put your best players out there and hope they can make something happen. Les and Iggy made a great play and Iggy finished it with a big shot.”

The Cougars pushed back hard after falling behind. A late shift featured three straight blocked shots, with Hiroki Gojsic, Dawson Gerwing and Parker Alcos all getting in front of point blasts.

McMillan said the reaction on the bench said everything.

“If you watched our bench during that shift, that’s where you see the growth of this team,” he said. “Guys see their teammates doing it and everyone says, ‘If they’re doing it, we’re doing it.’ That’s how a group takes off.”

When the Cougars did break through, Harrison Boettiger was there.

“He was awesome for us tonight,” McMillan said. “He moves so well, he reads plays and he made big saves at big moments. That’s what you want from your goalie.”

The game also carried an emotional moment early when Tomas Poletin dropped the gloves after a hard play. He did not return, but McMillan said the team rallied around him.

When the final horn sounded, the Rockets had done more than steal two points on the road. They had sent a clear message to the team they are now chasing.

Kelowna is one point back of the Cougars for third place in the Western Conference.

More importantly, the Rockets continue to look like a group that is learning how to win tight, playoff-style hockey games, the kind that demand patience, discipline and sacrifice.

“It was a team win,” McMillan said. “Now we have to build on it.”

by Regan Bartel

Playoff feel, as Rockets beat Cougars

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