Rockets face last push to playoffs

Kelowna, Kamloops each have 2 games to play; only 1 will advance

The Kelowna Rockets will round out their regular schedule season this weekend when they play the B.C. Division-leading Vancouver Giants in a home and home series.

The Rockets travel to the Lower Mainland to face the Giants tonight at Langley Events Centre at 7:30 p.m.

Following Friday night’s tilt, they head back to Kelowna to wrap up the regular season at Prospera Place. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Kelowna was last in action on Wednesday when the Rockets came back from a three-goal deficit to force overtime against the Spokane Chiefs at Prospera. The Rockets picked up an important point in the 6-5 overtime loss.

Forward Nolan Foote says the Rockets ability to fight back will help the team in the long run.

“That comeback is definitely a positive going into Friday,” said Foote. “There’s no rest off for anyone; we need to move on. We need everyone because it’s a big weekend and we’re very tight with Kamloops. Our veteran players have to step up continue that.”

Kelowna has already played Vancouver seven times this season, and the Giants hold the edge in the season series.

Vancouver and Kelowna met twice during October. The Giants downed the Rockets on both occasions, 5-0 at Prospera Place on Oct. 3 and 3-1 on Oct. 21 in Langley.

The next two games were closer. Vancouver defeated the Rockets 2-1 on Nov. 28 and again on Jan. 26.

The Rockets claimed their first victory in the series on Jan. 27 at Langley Events Centre where Leif Mattson scored the shootoutwinning goal.

The Giants blanked the Rockets 2-0 at Prospera Place on Feb. 16. The two last played on March 1 in a goal-filled affair where Foote had two goals in the Rockets’ 7-4 loss at the Langley Events Centre.

The Rockets currently sit in third place in the B.C. Division with a record of 27-31-6-2 and 62 points. Kelowna is a single point up on the fourth-place Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers also have two games remaining, a homeand-home series with the Prince George Cougars.

Whichever team finishes this weekend with more points will advance into the post-season.

The Giants are currently in a race with the Everett Silvertips for the top spot in the Western Conference; the Giants are two points ahead of the Tips with 98.

You can listen to tonight’s game on AM1150.