(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)
Rockets face road test in games 3 and 4
Goaltending, discipline and depth driving 2-0 series lead over Blazers
Mar 30, 2026 | 6:00 AM
- The Kelowna Rockets head to Kamloops with a 2–0 series lead, but the scores don’t really tell the full story. Even though it’s been 3-1 and 5-1 on paper, both games have felt a lot tighter than that. Game 2 especially had Kamloops with more jump right off the opening faceoff.
- Right now, the biggest story has been Rockets goaltender Harrison Boettiger. He’s 2-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .962 save percentage. Rebounds are controlled, second chances aren’t really there, and Kamloops defenders are missing the net on purpose, hoping for a puck to awkwardly bounce out front for a teammate to whack it home. That is where Boettiger’s paddle work has come in, making sure he pushes the puck out of harm’s way as it jumps all over like a tennis ball to the lip of the crease. Right now, he looks a step ahead of the shooters.
- What really stands out is Boettiger’s demeanour. When Kamloops’ JP Hurlbert scored in Game 2 and had a bit to say after, Boettiger didn’t react at all. Just reset and got back to work. That kind of calm settles everything down in front of him.
- Defensively, Kelowna has only allowed two goals in two games, and it doesn’t feel like luck. It feels structured. Sticks in lanes, blocked shots, and forwards coming back to support. It isn’t flawless. The coaches didn’t like the effort in game 2 as much as they did in game 1, when they surrendered just 17 shots against. Kamloops is doing similar things at times, just not as consistently. Both teams are well-coached, though.
- The officiating has been solid, too. Game 1 had just two penalties, mostly because there wasn’t much after-whistle stuff. Game 2 had a bit more physical play, but the refs did a good job staying out of it and keeping control. You do get the sense Kamloops would like more power play chances – their power play was strong in the regular season, but so far it’s gone quiet at 0-for-4.
- Up front, Vojtech Cihar, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, has been doing a lot of things right. He just turned 19, still basically an 18-year-old in junior terms, and he’s likely back next year unless he makes the Kings. He’s got three goals in the series, including an empty-netter, and seven total against Kamloops, including the regular season. But it’s his game away from the puck that stands out – tracking back hard, supporting plays, and not cheating for offence. When he wins pucks, he’s making the simple, safe play. That’s the kind of detail coaches in the NHL love.
- First-round NHL picks just look different at this level. Not perfect, but the skill and confidence show up in big moments. Tij Iginla has been exactly that. The Utah Mammoth’s first-round pick has three goals and five points in two games. His shot has been the difference, a clean release in Game 1 off the wing, then a quick snap from the end line in Game 2 over Logan Edmonstone’s blocker. No chance on that one. He now has eight goals in his last six games against the Blazers and 14 points overall.
- On the Kamloops side, d-man Harrison Brunicke has stood out with his speed. When he gets moving through the neutral zone, you notice it right away. He can carry through traffic and create off the rush, but sometimes the puck dies once he arrives in the offensive zone. It reminded me of Caden Price when he played for the Rockets. He’d often take it coast-to-coast, possess the puck in the offensive zone, and the play just stalled.
- You’re starting to see habits form with players in the playoffs. Some take wider routes through the neutral zone, especially guys who don’t like contact. In the corners, players are a bit slower getting to loose pucks because they’re trying to avoid hits. At this level, everyone wants the puck, but not everyone is as aggressive when it comes to getting it back. And in the playoffs, those patterns stand out. I remember a series back in 2003 against Spokane when assistant coach Larry Keating noticed something about goalie Barry Brust. Every time he played the puck behind his net, he would always move it to the same side. So the Rockets figured it out. They dumped the puck in, waited for Brust to play it, and then went hard to that side of the ice. It turned into an easy way to win the puck back. Small detail. Significant result against a goalie who loved to play it.
- Kelowna has now won six straight against Kamloops, dating back to the regular season. And it’s a bit of a flip from what it used to be. Just a few years ago, the Blazers had the edge, winning 15 of 17 games against the Rockets at the Sandman Centre.
- One storyline is Don Hay with the Memorial Cup hosts. He’s now an associate coach with Kelowna and knows the Kamloops side well from his time there under head coach Shaun Clouston. There’s been interest from the media to talk to him about facing his former team, but Hay has politely declined. He doesn’t want the focus on him. He would rather keep it on the players and the series.
- See you in the Loops, and if you can’t make it down, listen to 104.7 The LIZARD for all the play-by-play action. Both nights we start at 6:35 pm.
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