Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor

By Regan Bartel

17 players have scored this season

Rockets’ flexing offensive muscles

Oct 22, 2023 | 11:53 AM

Andrew Cristall, Tij Iginla, Caden Price, Gabriel Szturc and Max Graham.

That quintet make up the Kelowna Rockets’ number-one power-play unit, one of the most lethal we have seen in these parts in what feels like a long, long time.

Running at an efficient rate of 35.3%, it ranks second among 22 teams across the WHL with 18 goals on just 51 chances. Only Prince George has a better five-man unit, able to do lethal damage on the scoreboard while the opponent serves a penalty.

“They are feeling it,” Head Coach Kris Mallette says both cautiously and optimistically. “We are having some success with it. If that is the way it has to be, they have to be the ones that gain us momentum or give us the goals we desperately need.”

What makes this power play so electric is the ability to have essentially three shooters, including two at the opposite face-off circles that are able to deliver one-timers on goal. Capital Gabriel Szturc may be the best at it, but Tij Iginla may have the best finish, with five of his team-leading 12 goals coming with the extra man.

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“If we are feeling it, that is great, but there are times when things don’t go right,” Mallette cautioned. “It is how we respond when it flatlines a bit.”

The team hasn’t had this potent of a power play since the 2014-2015 season when it was rated number one, with a league-high 90 goals and a success rate of 26.2 percent. That unit consistent of Leon Draisaitl, Rourke Chartier, Josh Morrissey, Madison Bowey, and Tyson Baillie.

“Even our second unit needs to create,” Mallette added. “It is that two-headed monster. It is executing every time and staying as consistent as we can.”

The fear for any coach is seeing his team rely on the power play to dig them out of a hole, and showing little interest in scoring five on five goals can often be a death sentence.

With the team scoring 49 times this season, with 18 of those coming with the extra man, that total makes up 36.7% of the team’s offensive production.

“We have guns up front that can score goals,” Mallette commented. “We just can’t leave our young d-men out to dry. If you cheat the game a little bit up front and stretch the zone, we are outmanned 5 to 3 if we turn over the puck.”

The Rockets have surrendered a league high six shorthanded goals against. They gave up 10 all of last season.

“When teams are smart and recognize that you are trying to go for that hail-mary pass every time, they just step up and turn to transition.”

Averaging 4.5 goals per game, Mallette knows the team can manufacture enough offense to win games, but allowing a Western Conference-high 56 goals against will need to improve.

“Scoring goals is great”, he said.

“We seem to be doing that [scoring] very well, but the onus is on both our defenseman and forwards to all be back and working together.”