Rockets regroup to face Giants
The Kelowna Rockets host a B.C. Division rival in the Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place tonight.
The Rockets are looking to bounce back after dropping their last two games to the U.S. Division-leading Everett Silvertips on the weekend. With the top-three teams in the B.C. Division separated by only four points — the Rockets are tied for first place with the Victoria Royals, while the Giants are four points back in third — Kelowna assistant coach Kris Mallette says the importance of divisional matchups isn’t lost on the team.
“Any divisional game is big for us down the stretch,” said Mallette. “We play quite a few over the next month. First and foremost, our team needs to get back to playing hockey the way we were leading into last weekend’s setback.
“Vancouver and Victoria have been playing some really good hockey lately, but the divisional games are the biggest of the year,” Mallette added. “We’ve got to prepare and be ready to go.”
Tonight marks the fifth of eight meetings between the Rockets and Giants this season.
So far, the teams have split the season series. They first met on Nov. 10 in Kelowna, when Carsen Twarynski netted the overtime winner to secure a 5-4 victory for the Rockets.
The teams met again just over a week later on Nov. 18 at the Langley Events Centre, but this time it was all Vancouver as Giants’ captain Tyler Benson racked up two goals and an assist to lead his team, while Rockets’ rookie Marek Skvrne scored his first WHL goal in a 6-1 defeat.
The Rockets traveled to Langley again on Nov. 24 and avenged that loss when rookie goaltender James Porter made 30 saves in a 3-2 win.
The Giants evened up the season series in the most recent contest on Jan. 13. Vancouver took a 2-1 lead into the third period before Rockets forward Leif Mattson tied things up early in the final frame. But the host Giants took the lead back just a few minutes later and held on for a 3-2 victory with James Malm getting the winner that night.
Following tonight, these rivals have three more regular-season games left against each other.
Vancouver will make its third trip to Kelowna on March 7, and the teams will play a home-and-home set on the final weekend of the WHL schedule — starting in Langley on March 16 and ending in Kelowna on March 17.
The Rockets enter tonight’s game with a record of 32-16-3-1 for 68 points — tied with Victoria, but Kelowna has two games in hand.
Vancouver has 64 points thanks to a 28-165-3 record, with the same number of games played as Kelowna.
The Rockets are sitting second in the Western Conference, only three points back of first-place Everett.
Tonight’s puck-drop is set for 7:05 p.m.