Rockets end regular season on a high
Leif Mattson scored twice and added two assists as the Kelowna Rockets closed out the regular season with an 8-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants, before 5,769 spectators at Prospera Place, Saturday.
Sporting St. Patrick’s Day- themed uniforms for its Jersey Off the Back promotion, the Rockets’ offensive outburst made the undermanned Giants green with envy. Kelowna controlled the territorial play throughout the contest and peppered Vancouver goaltender Trent Miner with 44 shots. It was the Rockets fifth straight win. “We’ve played better hockey the last week-and-a-half,” said head coach Jason Smith. “February was a tough month, but we’ve got things straightened out a little bit. We’re competing and playing better as a team.”
Dillon Dube also scored twice for the Rockets, including the 100th regular season goal of his WHL career. Dube finished with 38 goals this season, a career-high.
“I was just trying to have fun,” said Dube of what is likely to be his final regular season game at Prospera Place.
“I was trying to wipe the smile off my face when I was on the ice. I don’t know what people thought of that, but I was smiling the whole time. I have to credit my teammates and coaches for making it a memorable year.”
Kole Lind (39), Gordie Ballhorn (7), Kyle Topping (22) and Libor Zabransky (2) rounded out the Rockets scoring.
For Ballhorn and Zabransky to find the scoresheet in the final regular season contest is somewhat appropriate, as the two rearguards are the only members of the Rockets to appear in all 72 games this season.
The Rockets now set their sights on the post-season — a first round match up with the Tri City Americans.
“They play a hard game,” said Smith. “They’ve got some real active guys on the back end and they have some high-end skill up front. We’ll have to be prepared and make sure we’re ready to work and compete from start to finish.”
Despite the point differential in the standings and the Americans qualifying as a wild-card team, the regular season series between the two teams was a dead heat. Each team won two of the four meetings and each contest was decided by one goal. Two of the games went to overtime. Both teams have had key players miss significant playing time due to injuries and international competitions.
Tri City, like Kelowna, has a core group of elite offensively gifted forwards. Michael Rasmussen, selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings is healthy; Carolina Hurricanes third rounder Morgan Geekie led the Amerks in scoring with 83 points; and 20-year-old Jordan Topping had a career season offensively with 79 points in 71 games.
Topping is the older brother of Rockets forward Kyle Topping.
The Americans bolstered its blueline brigade by adding Hurricanes first-round pick Jake Bean at the trade deadline. Juuso Valimaki, who is signed by the Calgary Flames, is a world class, puck-moving defenceman. Dylan Coghlan (63 points in 69 games) and Anthony Bishop are solid veterans.
Patrick Dea, 20, and Beck Warm, 18, have split the goaltending duties.
For the Rockets, the key might well be the team’s overall health. For the first time all season long, the coaching staff is likely to have a full complement of players to work with.
“It’ll be nice, we’re as close to having everybody as we can,” Smith said. “A few guys are banged up a little bit, but that’s what happens. It’s a long year and injuries are a part of it. I know the guys are excited about the challenge ahead.
“We’ll meet on Monday and it’s kind of to be determined what we’ll do there. We’ll practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a morning skate on Thursday.”
Kelowna has won eight of the last nine playoff games between the two teams and the last two post-season series.
The Rockets eliminated the Amerks in five games during the first round of the 2014 playoffs, then swept Tri City in 2015 in round one. The last time the Americans eliminated the Rockets was in 2010, a fourgame sweep in round two.
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna outshot Vancouver, 44-22…The Rockets were 1-for-1 on the power play. The Giants went 0-for-2…Milos Roman scored for the Giants…Three stars were Dube, Mattson and Ballhorn… Mattson scored a shorthanded goal, his fourth of the season on the penalty kill and the Rockets 17th overall. The Moose Jaw Warriors and Brandon Wheat Kings also tallied 17 shorthanded goals, tops in the WHL…The Rockets finish the regular season with five players scoring at least 20 goals. Carsen Twarynski (45), Lind (39), Dube (38), Mattson (25) and Topping (22). Cal Foote finished with 19 on the season, while Connor Bruggen-Cate scored 18 times… Scratches were James Hilsendager, Wil Kushniryk, Kyle Pow, Colum McGauley, Roman Basran, Twarynski and Bradyn Chizen… Affiliate players Cayde Augustine and Dallon Wilton suited up for the second straight night…The Rockets finish the regular season 26-7-1-2 at home and 23-7-2 against the B.C. Division… Kelowna was 5-2-1 against Vancouver this season…Next home game is Thursday when the Tri City Americans come calling to start the WHL playoffs.
Puck drop is 7:05pm.