By Regan Bartel

G-Men prove to be hard out

Four of six points earned on weekend

Mar 8, 2026 | 7:23 PM

The Kelowna Rockets battled through fatigue and adversity Sunday afternoon but ultimately fell just short, dropping a 3-2 shootout decision to the Vancouver Giants at the Langley Events Centre.

After 65 minutes solved nothing, the game required six rounds of the shootout before the Giants finally secured the extra point. Votjech Cihar and Tomas Poletin scored in the tiebreaker for Kelowna, but Vancouver answered when it mattered most to claim the victory.

Despite the loss, the Rockets earned a valuable point in the standings and remain one point ahead of the Prince George Cougars for third place in the Western Conference with the regular season entering its final stretch.

It was the second straight tight game between the two teams over the weekend. Vancouver edged Kelowna 4–3 in overtime Friday night before needing a shootout Sunday to secure another win.

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Vancouver opened the scoring just 17 seconds into the game, catching Kelowna off guard before many fans had even settled into their seats. The early goal put the Rockets on their heels, but assistant coach Brandon McMillan felt the effort was strong considering the circumstances.

“There were times where we were chasing a little bit,” McMillan said after the game. “But for the most part I thought we played well as a team, especially playing three games in two and a half days.”

The Rockets found their footing midway through the second period when rookie forward Vojtech Cihar tied the game with his goal, but the Giants regained the one goal cushion by scoring 1:47 seconds later and led 2-1 after two periods.

“I thought we were a little too cute in the offensive zone at times,” McMillan explained. “We were trying to pass it into the net instead of being more direct and scoring some of those ugly goals.”

Down by one, Shane Smith answered for Kelowna on the power play in the third. Smith’s goal tied the game 2-2 and set up a tense final few minutes but neither could find the go-ahead marker.

One of the key storylines unfolded early in the game when Kelowna defenseman Rowan Guest left the contest following a high hit. Losing a blueliner that early could have derailed the Rockets, especially given the demanding schedule.

Instead, the remaining defensemen absorbed the extra workload.

“I thought they did a really good job,” McMillan said. “Going down to five defensemen that early in the game and still playing the way they did — especially with three games in two and a half days — that’s not easy.”

McMillan said the hit on Guest appeared to catch the defenseman high, but the coaching staff was hopeful the injury would not be serious.

“It’s unfortunate anytime a player takes a head shot like that,” he said. “Hopefully he’s OK, and it’s nothing too serious.”

Kelowna had several opportunities to grab the lead late in regulation, but a number of shots either missed the net or were blocked by the Giants’ defense.

“I definitely noticed we missed the net quite a bit,” McMillan said. “They also blocked a lot of shots and took away some lanes early in the game. But you want to get pucks on net. Even if they don’t go in, you create rebounds and make the goalie work.”

Neither team could break the deadlock in overtime, sending the game to a shootout.

The Rockets nearly secured the win in the skills competition. Shane Smith had the closest opportunity when he stepped in with a chance to end it, but couldn’t convert. Later, Mazden Leslie also had an opportunity to win it against his former team but was unable to beat the Vancouver goaltender.

In the end, the shootout stretched into the sixth round before the Giants finally sealed the victory.

McMillan helped coordinate Kelowna’s shooters during the tiebreaker, communicating with head coach Derrick Martin on the bench.

“He puts some faith in me to help with those decisions,” McMillan said. “We talk about who we think should go and try to give ourselves the best chance.”

Although the Rockets missed out on the extra point, the single point gained could still prove valuable in the standings.

“Those extra points are huge right now,” McMillan said. “We’re trying to hold on to third place, and every point matters this time of year.”

The Rockets now return home knowing the final two weeks of the regular season will be critical in preparing for the playoffs.

“It’s a really important stretch,” McMillan said. “There are so many little details in the game you need to get right. Playoff hockey is a different animal.”

Kelowna will look to sharpen those details when they return to action Wednesday against Victoria before a home-and-home weekend series with Kamloops.