Rockets look for revenge against Kamloops

Kelowna scores 3-2 home win one night after losing to Blazers in Kamloops

Reid Gardiner made an immediate impact in his Kelowna Rockets debut, earning first-star honours in a 3-2 shootout win over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night.

Gardiner was unable to play hero at Prospera Place, getting denied as the first shooter of the tiebreaker, but he did score midway through the third period to force overtime — a top-corner snipe while shorthanded after Dillon Dube pressured the Blazers into a turnover.

“I came here for a reason and I couldn’t have drawn it up any better,” said Gardiner, who was acquired by the Rockets on Friday from Prince Albert in exchange for three draft picks, including a first-rounder.

He had been playing pro in the AHL for Pittsburgh’s farm team and travelled from New Jersey to Kelowna in a whirlwind 24 hours following the announcement of that trade.

“We played a solid game and we have a good group here,” Gardiner added.

Kelowna’s leading scorer, Kole Lind, netted the shootout winner and Nick Merkley opened the scoring early in the first period for the Rockets (24-15-3-0), who salvaged a split of their weekend home-andhome after falling 3-1 to the Blazers (25-15-1-2) in Kamloops on Friday.

Brodan Salmond backstopped Kelowna’s victory, turning aside 26 shots through overtime and then five of six in the shootout.

Kamloops captain Collin Shirley had cancelled out Tomas Soustal’s goal in the fourth round, but Dylan Ferguson took the loss despite a 34-save, second-star performance.

Rudolfs Balcers and Nick Chyzowski, on a penalty shot with 0.1 seconds left in the second period, replied for the Blazers in regulation.

The Rockets now head to Victoria for a doubleheader Wednesday and Friday against another divisional rival in the Royals (22-16-4-0), who had their five-game, post-Christmas winning streak halted Saturday in a 4-2 loss at Prince George.