Rockets ride the rollercoaster

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Friday’s loss saw rookie goaltender Jake Pilon start the game, before being replaced after giving up three goals on the opening eight shots. Veteran Jari Kykkanen, who had started the previous five games, was called into duty on an evening when he would have preferred to earn the mental and physical rest.

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Averaging just over 4 goals scored per-game, the fourth most of any of the 22 teams, RocketFAN asked Mallette if he senses his players believing they can out-score their defensive deficiencies.

“I do,” he said quickly. “We are really never out of it. We have some guys that are pretty electric, and then you are getting a contribution from the back end as well, but I think our guys have shown this season, outside of losses to Prince George and Medicine Hat, every other game we’ve been right there and battled back.”

While the penalty-killing unit, which is dead last in the WHL having surrendered a league-high 23 goals, the goaltending has been just good, not great, in the opening 14 games.

While statistics don’t tell the entire story, the Rockets don’t have a goalie in the top 30 in goals-against average, nor-save percentage with starter Jari Kykkanen rated 31st, allowing over four goals per-game.

It should then come as no surprise that the Rockets have allowed 5.09 goals per-game, the highest total of any team in the WHL.

“To say we have had good goaltender…sure we’ve won games, but stealing us games, maybe one,” Mallette said honestly. “Statistically, not remotely where it should be. We need guys to steal games.”

The only saving grace is other veteran goalies, specifically in the Western Conference, haven’t put up world-beater numbers in the opening five-weeks of the regular season. Victoria Royals 20-year-old Braden Holt, Kamloops Blazers Dylan Ernst, and Seattle’s Scott Ratzlaff all have save percentages below .870.

Kykkanen’s save percentage is .869, having faced the 8th most shots of any goalie.

“We need that calmness. When we are struggling, when we are reverting to those bad habits, we need the goaltending to really calm it down,” Mallette added.

“Jari [Kykkanen] in particular. He is 19 and has very good skill, but he has to calm it down and show our players, ‘Hey, I’ve got you’.”

The good news across the WHL is the parity is so strong, so even with 7 wins in the opening 14 games, the Rockets are still five points out of first place in what can only be considered as an up and down start to the 2023-2024 season.