Rockets push series back to Everett

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Win, or the season is over.

Enough talk. Time for action

As they say in Everett, 'Let's play hockey!

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Despite the emotional lift of that comeback victory, the Rockets still trail the Everett Silvertips three games to one. Through four games, Everett has outscored Kelowna 15-8, a reflection of how thin the margin has been and how costly mistakes have proven.

Head coach Derrick Martin doesn’t believe the gap between the teams is as wide as the numbers suggest.

“I really like our game,” Martin said before his team improved its post-season record to 3-1 on home ice with a 4-2 setback in game three. “I liked our attention to detail, our competitiveness, our discipline in key moments. We gave ourselves a lot of opportunities and a lot of looks.”

That’s been the story throughout the series.

The Rockets have generated chances. They’ve had stretches where they’ve controlled play.

“The margins are so small,” Martin said. “You make a mistake, and it ends up in the back of your net, and it could be the difference in the game.”

The Silvertips, a 57-win team during the regular season, have thrived in those moments. Their ability to stay patient and strike when opportunities arise has been a defining factor, particularly in the second period, where they’ve done much of their damage.

“They’re a poised group,” Martin said. “They don’t feel threatened when it’s 0-0 or even when they’re down. They wait, and they pounce.”

For Kelowna, the path forward starts with something simple, but elusive in this series.

The first goal.

“It’s important to play a good period,” Martin said, “but it’s really important to get that first goal. We’ve got to find a way to scrape and claw and put one in the net.”

That hasn’t come easily.

Even in games where the Rockets have started well, they’ve struggled to solve Everett goaltender Anders Miller early. The Silvertips netminder has been steady throughout the series, turning aside quality chances and allowing his team to stay in control.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Martin said. “We’ve got to find a way to frustrate him and get into their kitchen a little bit.”

Opportunities haven’t been the issue.

Execution has, at least up until game four’s third period explosion.

“We’re getting chances,” Martin said. “We’ve had breakaways, point-blank looks. We’ve hit posts, missed nets, and hit bodies. The opportunities are there, we just have to finish.”

There’s also a mental component.

Still, Martin has seen enough to believe his group is handling the moment the right way.

“The compete is there,” he said. “Even when they’re not scoring, they’re finding ways to contribute. They’re playing responsibly away from the puck, and that matters.”

Physically, the Rockets have also tried to establish themselves.

They’ve leaned into their size, finished checks, and attempted to make life uncomfortable for a Silvertips team known more for speed and structure than brute force.

“We want to be physical,” Martin said before game four. “We want to make it hard on them. And as a series goes on, you hope that starts to wear a team down.”

Martin’s message to his team will be the same as it was in an elimination game on Wednesday night.

“We’re not talking about the series,” he said. “We’re focused on the next step. Taking that next step together as a group.”

Outside of game four, where the Tips scored just over a minute into the game, Kelowna has started games on time throughout the playoffs, but hasn’t always been rewarded. That can’t happen again.

“We’ve been ready,” Martin said. “But there are ebbs and flows in games. Whatever happens early doesn’t dictate the whole 60 minutes. We just have to stay with it.”

And stay disciplined.

“We want to play five-on-five,” he said. “We like our game there. We don’t want it to turn into a special teams battle.”

Because in a series defined by small moments, control matters.

So does belief.

“It’s not impossible,” Martin said about getting back in the series. “There’s a history of teams doing it. But we’re not focused on that. We’ve got to give ourselves a chance to win the first period.”

One period. One game. One more chance.

The Rockets earned that chance Wednesday night.

Now they have to earn another.