Rockets take series lead
The Kelowna Rockets downed the Wenatchee Wild 5-1 on Tuesday night at Propsera Place to take a 2-1 lead in their best- of-seven West Hockey League series.
Game 4 was scheduled for Wednesday at Prospera. The game was not finished by our press deadline. (To see the result visit: kelownadailycourier.ca)
On Tuesday, the Wild was able to grab the lead 5:55 into the game on a power play goal. Kelowna responded with two goals late in the period and never looked back adding three more throughout the final two periods.
“I think there was some nervous energy, but I liked our response after the fact,” said Rockets head coach Kris Mallette about playing in front of the home crowd for the first time in the postseason.
“I think Wenatchee coming into a building where they obviously want to win a hockey game, they came out determined. The loose puck battles, they were winning those, get some shots early and put us on our heels. I liked our response as the game went on. We maybe had to get a little bit of a rhythm under us and once we did, we did well.”
Rockets goaltender Jari Kykkanen earned first star honours after turning aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced, picking up his second win of the postseason.
“I think we played amazing tonight,” said Kykkanen in his postgame interview.
“Guys were sacrificing all around, blocking shots and our penalty kill was dialed. We gave up the pk goal, but everything else we were killing off. It was a lot of fun to play behind those guys tonight.
GAME SUMMARY
Briley Wood (5) stayed hot, with his eighth point in the series, netting the game’s opening goal 5:55 into it while on the power play. Late in the frame the Rockets responded with a pair of goals 1:15 apart to grab the lead. Tij Iginla (4) took off past the Wenatchee defence, goaltender Daniel Hauser got a piece of the puck, but it had enough momentum to make its way over the goal line. Gabriel Szturc found a trailing Marek Rocak (2) to give Kelowna their first lead of the night.
Dylan Wightman from the right corner hit Caden Price (1) coasting to the top of the slot to net the lone goal of the second period with 1:17 to go in the frame.
Before the midway point of the third Michael Cicek found Tij Iginla (5) at the backdoor of Wenatchee’s net for his second of the game.
Deep in the left faceoff circle, Ty Hurley elected to pass back to Luke Schelter (2) in the right faceoff circle to push Kelowna out to a four goal lead.
The Wild outshot the Rockets 32-24. Kelowna was zerofor-two on the power play, the Wild one-for-six.
Game 5 in the series is Friday night in Spokane, Wa. Beginning at 7 p.m. Game 6, if necessary, will be played Sunday afternoon in Kelowna with a 2:05 p.m. puck drop at Prospera Place.