Photo credit: Doug Love
Eight games remain before its showtime

One last tilt with the Tri-City Americans

Mar 6, 2024 | 8:00 AM

Less than 96 hours after beating the Tri-City Americans 4-1 at a packed Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington, the Kelowna Rockets enter the final three weeks of the season with a rematch against them tonight (104.7 The Lizard pre-game show starts at 6:35 pm) at Prospera Place.

“They are a big group,” Rockets head coach Kris Mallette said. “They have two lines up front that skate well. It is typical in my time here, the Tri-City Americans have big forwards.”

The Americans are the third-heaviest team in the WHL, led by leading scorer Jake Sloan, who tips the scales at 215 pounds. Throw into the mix 20-year-old shot-happy forward Parker Bell at 205 and Andrew Fan, also at a cool 205 pounds, and the Rockets d-core are challenged anytime the opposition has the puck in the offensive zone.

“If you give them time and space and allow them to get comfortable and use their big frames, they can make you pay,” Mallette added.

The Rockets have a chance to draw even with the Vancouver Giants for 6th place in the Western Conference with a victory tonight. Sitting two points back, with eight games to play, the G-Men don’t return to action until this weekend when they head up north to face the Prince George Cougars in back-to-back games this weekend.

For the Rockets, it is all about taking advantage of playing the next three games against teams below them in the standings, with Tri-City here tonight followed by a home-and-home series with the Kamloops Blazers this weekend.

“Discipline is always a key for us,” Mallette added about his team’s focus with playoff positioning up for grabs. “Like most teams throughout our league, getting them [Americans] into their zone and making them uncomfortable seems to be the modus operandi against a lot of teams, us included.”

With eight goals in their last two games, and with points in five straight (4-0-1-0), the Rockets enjoy a schedule where five of their final eight games are on home ice.

“Nobody wants to defend,” Mallette admitted, despite clearly emphasizing it should be priority number one. “Everyone wants to be the hero. Everyone wants their cookies [points].

“Our decisions early to put them on their heels is a key for us.”

Comments

Leave a Reply