Photo credit: Jackson DeSouza

By Regan Bartel

D-man determined despite down 0-2

‘No one needs to act like a tough guy’ – Rockets d-man Jackson DeSouza

Jul 21, 2023 | 11:00 AM

This article first appears on April 4th and is rated as the 8th most popular article on RocketFAN since it launched last September.

Spend a few minutes with Kelowna Rockets veteran defencemen Jackson DeSouza, and you would think his team had won the opening two games of their playoff series with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The 20-year-old has a certain calm, focused, and determination heading into game three tonight at Prospera Place, with his team having lost the opening two games by scores of 3-2 and 4-1.

Media and fans anticipated this outcome before the series even started with the T-Birds loaded for a long playoff run, yet even the naysayers are surprised that the Rockets, who had 53 fewer points during the regular season, are hanging in tough with the Western Conference’s top team.

“We need to control what we can control,” DeSouza told RocketFAN. “Don’t listen to what everyone is saying about Seattle. That is rat poison. We just need to worry about what we need to do individually and play our roles.”

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While goaltender Jari Kykkanen has been stellar in the opening two games, it goes far deeper than that.

Ethan Mittelsteadt, who was acquired in the Colton Dach trade with the T-Birds back in January has made an impact, while Max Graham has looked good playing on a line with Gabriel Szturc and Andrew Cristall.

Rookie d-man Marek Rocak had a bounce-back game after being a minus-two in game one. A day later, the Czech-born product made better decisions with the puck and even had a great chance to fire home his first of the WHL playoffs just moments after Seattle opened the scoring.

Carson Golder, who has the most playoff experience on the Rockets roster after winning a WHL title with the Edmonton Oil Kings one season ago, has chipped in with two assists while firing six shots on net.

“We just have to play our game, and refocus”, DeSouza added. “You can’t fall into the crowd or the refs or whatever they are saying, just focus on what we can control. That’s the big thing.”

What the Rockets can control is effort.

Working hard, trusting each other for backup, staying composed when the puck is on their stick and not being lured into taking stick penalties, like lazy hooking or tripping minors.

Oh, also avoid sending the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty, something that’s happened twice, once in game one to John Babcock and a second time, in game two to Jari Kykkanen.

“It is about staying mentally focused for the whole 60 minutes,” DeSouza added about making unwarranted trips to the penalty box. “They are obviously going to try to get under our skin, and we are trying to do the same thing. That is the heat of the playoffs, but no one needs to act like a tough guy here. We don’t need to see who the toughest guy is. We need to win this series.”

The Rockets were one of three teams in the WHL this season with over 400 penalty minutes, so the T-Birds are accurately trying to draw them into taking undisciplined penalties.

DeSouza, who scored a goal in game one, is doing his best to keep the Thunderbirds’ best players off the scoreboard.

That includes Dylan Guenther, who has three goals in the opening two games, but two of them have come on the power play, so the war of attrition is being won 5 on 5.

“He is a good player”, DeSouza said without batting an eye. “We have good players as well. We just need to worry about us.”

It is a head-scratcher, but of the three goals scored so far in this series, DeSouza and Caden Price have found the back of the net, when the two combined for only 11 goals during the regular season.

“These are the games you want to be playing, and you have to remember that”, DeSouza added with playoff focus on his face. “There is being nervous, and then there is being too nervous. When you are prepared like we are, you aren’t nervous.”

104.7 – The LIZARD – has tonight’s broadcast, with the pre-game show at 6:35 pm and the play-by-play at 7:05 pm.

“Everybody can give more.” DeSouza said.

“We just have to match their compete level. Everybody can step up. Every game we need to build.”