A night to forget

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The difference is the Cougars have more depth, are playing with confidence with five straight wins, and have now cracked off four straight convincing games in the seasonal series.

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Cole Dubinsky, acquired from the Regina Pats in November, scored three times in the lopsided game, handing the Rockets their third consecutive loss.

The nine goals on the road matched a season-high, when the Cougars stormed into Victoria and earned a 9-1 win back on November 18th.

The last time the Cougars scored 9 goals in Kelowna was back on November 29, 1997, in a 9-7 victory.

Current Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette played in the game when Cougars forward Quinn Hancock had a goal and added four assists in the 16-goal outburst.

Mallette was a d-man on that night for the home town team at Memorial Arena, where only 17 hundred fans witnessed the defensive breakdowns.

For the Rockets, it was the most goals they’ve allowed this season, and it was the first time they’ve surrendered that many at Prospera Place since a 9-6 loss to the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on October 2018.

Much like Wednesday’s 7-2 win at CN Centre, the Cougars scored early and often, finding the back of the net three times in a span of 5 minutes and 6 seconds of the opening period.

With the Rockets trailing 3-1 after 20 minutes, thanks to Carson Golder’s 22nd goal of the season, the colossal damage was done 3:18 into the second frame when the Cougars regained the three goal cushion, and ended up scoring five of the next six goals for their 24th win of the season.

Rockets forward Trae Johnson was able to score his first goal since being acquired from Brandon, which was little consolation as they were  outshot 45-23 in the game.

Veteran Turner McMillen, who had the most consistent jump of any skater for the home squad, was awarded an assist on the Johnson goal along with rookie 16-year-old d-man Landon Cowper, who was making his WHL debut.

The 16-year-old, who signed a WHL player contract earlier in the day, saw limited ice time, in a game that featured three first period fights, with rookies Logan Peskett, Ismail Abougouche and veteran d-man Elias Carmichael getting involved in the fisticuffs.

Peskett never returned to the game after his tilt while rookie Will Munro, hit hard early in the first period also didn’t return, only leading to more injuries to the forward ranks.

Andrew Cristall missed his 13th straight game with injury, Ty Hurley missed his 12th while Max Graham is still no less than three weeks away from getting back in the lineup.

Affiliated players Kayden Longley and Scott Cousins have filled in admirably with the team also missing John Babcock and Marek Rocak back on the blue line.

The Cougars have now scored a BC Division best 111 road goals this season, while the Rockets have found the back of the net just five times in the last three games and saw their lead shrink to three points over Victoria for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

With little time to regroup, the team plays game two of a five game home stand Saturday night against the visiting Saskatoon Blades, who opened a BC Division road trip Friday with a 5-2 loss in Kamloops.

Like the Rockets, the Blades have injury problems of their own, resulting in the third best team in the Eastern Conference (statistically) having dropped 7 of its past 15 games (7-7-1-0).