Road win comes in extra time

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Head coach Derrick Martin wasn’t interested in dwelling on Poletin’s absence.

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“The Western Hockey League offices have a job to do,” Martin said before Saturday’s game. “They’ve made their ruling, and it’s up to us to live with what they’ve decided the outcome is.”

Poletin was ejected from Friday’s 5-2 Kamloops win after the hit that resulted in the major penalty and game misconduct. The Blazers player returned to the game, something Martin acknowledged when discussing the league’s decision.

“Everyone was happy to see the Kamloops guy come back last night and play in the game and not have a long-term injury,” Martin said. “That’s always the risk when you have incidental contact like that.”

The Rockets, though, had to move on without Poletin.

And Martin made it clear there would be no excuses.

“There’s always going to be enough excuses. We’ve got to find a reason,” Martin said. “And the reason for us is we’ve got a lot of young guys that are looking for more opportunity and somebody’s going to get that tonight. And then it’s up to them to take advantage of it.”

That opportunity went to Drew Larioza, who returned to the lineup after missing Friday’s game while recovering from illness.

Larioza made the most of it.

The 16-year-old scored his first career WHL goal just 3:09 into the game, breaking in alone before beating Logan Edmonstone glove side. It was exactly the kind of moment Martin was talking about when he spoke about turning Poletin’s absence into something positive.

“Turn a negative into a positive and focus on puck drop,” Martin said.

Larioza wasn’t the only Rocket to step forward.

Madden Daneault had a goal and two assists and was named the game’s first star. Eli Barrett scored in the second period, while Henderson finished the comeback 34 seconds into overtime.

Kelowna had to do it without one of its regular forwards, but also without allowing the circumstances surrounding Poletin to become the story inside the dressing room.

Martin said he understood why the league arrived at its decision, even if the Rockets had to adjust their lineup because of it.

“I know how the rule is written and, off of how the rule is written and how the hit looks, I understand the league’s standpoint on it,” he said. “It’s not for me to … broadcast my thoughts and ideas.”

There was no appeal, no extended discussion and no attempt to use the suspension as a reason for what might happen Saturday.

Just hockey.

And the Rockets responded.

Kelowna fell behind 2-1 after the opening period, but answered 42 seconds into the second when Barrett picked the short side to tie the game. Daneault then put the Rockets back in front at 10:45, deflecting Rowan Guest’s point shot past Edmonstone.

Kamloops tied it again before the end of the period, but Kelowna held the Blazers to just four shots in the third and eventually ended the game in overtime.

For Martin, the response was as important as the result.

Poletin will now be eligible to return when the Rockets host Swift Current on Wednesday.

In the meantime, Martin saw exactly what he wanted from the players who were given a little more responsibility in his absence.

“You hope that a couple of them or at least one of them can seize the moment and take a little more responsibility on,” Martin said.

On Saturday, they did.

And the Rockets didn’t need Poletin in the lineup to prove they could find a way to win.