Malc
02-06-2009, 02:45 PM
By Larry Fisher
Ryan Huska could have his hands full this weekend. That's a good problem to have, however, as the Kelowna Rockets' coach expects to have a healthy lineup at his disposal for the first time in a long time. Kelowna is home to the Everett Silvertips tonight and the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday (both 7 p.m. starts at Prospera Place) before travelling to Spokane to face the Chiefs on Sunday evening.
"Knock on wood," said Huska. "Every team goes through it, but because of (Kyle St. Denis's) injury it's been a little longer for us since we've had a totally healthy lineup.
"Most of our guys have done a pretty good job of elevating or raising their level of play while guys have been out of the lineup. Now, once we get that healthy lineup, hopefully it stays that way as we work down the stretch."
The Rockets, fresh off a 6-1 thumping of the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday, have picked up points in six straight games, despite playing without the likes of St. Denis and Ian Duval. St. Denis will return to the lineup tonight after missing 37 games over the course of 20 weeks since breaking scaphoid bone in his right hand during a 6-0 win over the Chilliwack Bruins on Oct. 24. Huska wasn't certain where the diminutive 18-year-old forward from Trail, who tallied seven goals and 18 points in 15 games to start the season, would slot in. "We haven't quite decided yet, but Kyle is going to be worked back into the lineup slowly," Huska said. "We're going to try to give him a regular five-on-five shift and then power-play time every once in a while as well, to try to get him going again. But it's important for us not to expect too much out of him right away."
Duval, meanwhile, sat out the past two games with a concussion sustained against Medicine Hat in the Rockets' 10-1 rout last Friday. He won't dress tonight, but is expected to draw back in on Sunday. Duval, a 20-year-old forward from Winnipeg, has been dynamite since coming to the Rockets from Moose Jaw at the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
The six-foot, 183-pound centre has points in six of eight games with Kelowna, totalling five goals and 11 points. Duval was riding a six-game point streak prior to being hurt.
Defenceman Aaron Borejko (head) is the other missing link. Borejko was injured during a 2-1 overtime loss to the Thunderbirds in Seattle last Saturday, but Huska was hopeful the 17-year-old Edmonton native would also be back sooner than later. The rest of the Rockets are good to go this weekend, though, as they hope to keep going strong.
"We're playing some pretty good hockey right now, and it's nice to get a bunch of games in a row," Huska said. "Hopefully we can start off the weekend on a good note with two solid games at home here."
ICE CHIPS: Everett dropped a 3-2 shootout decision in Kamloops on Wednesday, and has been struggling as of late. The Silvertips have only won once in their last 10 games – a 5-0 shutout of the cellar-dwelling Portland Winter Hawks last Saturday – with five points to speak of in that stretch, including another shootout loss to Kamloops and an overtime defeat to Tri-City... Everett is led by 17-year-old Abbotsford product Kellan Tochkin, with 14 goals and 55 points in 53 games, and 20-year-old sniper Shane Harper, with 24 goals and 51 points in 53 games... The Silvertips are backstopped by 18-year-old Chilliwack native Thomas Heemskerk, who is 4-7-0-1 with a 3.45 goals-against-average and a .903 save-percentage since being acquired from Kootenay... Everett (22-23-6-2) is holding down sixth spot in the Western Conference standings with 52 points – five back of Kamloops and two up on the Seattle Thunderbirds... Kelowna (30-19-1-2) is fourth with 63 points, six clear of Kamloops and six behind third-place Spokane... Kelowna F Colin Long is tied for ninth among WHL scoring leaders and is tops on the Rockets with 23 goals and 65 points in 48 games. F Jamie Benn is second on the Rockets and tied for 18th in league scoring with 59 points in 38 games. His 34 goals are the second most in the WHL, trailing only Joel Broda of the Calgary Hitmen who recently hit the 40-goal plateau... Mark Guggenberger will get the start in goal for Kelowna tonight. The 20-year-old netminder is 5-2-1-1 with a 2.22 GAA and .903 save-percentage since being acquired from Swift Current.
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=163042
Ryan Huska could have his hands full this weekend. That's a good problem to have, however, as the Kelowna Rockets' coach expects to have a healthy lineup at his disposal for the first time in a long time. Kelowna is home to the Everett Silvertips tonight and the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday (both 7 p.m. starts at Prospera Place) before travelling to Spokane to face the Chiefs on Sunday evening.
"Knock on wood," said Huska. "Every team goes through it, but because of (Kyle St. Denis's) injury it's been a little longer for us since we've had a totally healthy lineup.
"Most of our guys have done a pretty good job of elevating or raising their level of play while guys have been out of the lineup. Now, once we get that healthy lineup, hopefully it stays that way as we work down the stretch."
The Rockets, fresh off a 6-1 thumping of the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday, have picked up points in six straight games, despite playing without the likes of St. Denis and Ian Duval. St. Denis will return to the lineup tonight after missing 37 games over the course of 20 weeks since breaking scaphoid bone in his right hand during a 6-0 win over the Chilliwack Bruins on Oct. 24. Huska wasn't certain where the diminutive 18-year-old forward from Trail, who tallied seven goals and 18 points in 15 games to start the season, would slot in. "We haven't quite decided yet, but Kyle is going to be worked back into the lineup slowly," Huska said. "We're going to try to give him a regular five-on-five shift and then power-play time every once in a while as well, to try to get him going again. But it's important for us not to expect too much out of him right away."
Duval, meanwhile, sat out the past two games with a concussion sustained against Medicine Hat in the Rockets' 10-1 rout last Friday. He won't dress tonight, but is expected to draw back in on Sunday. Duval, a 20-year-old forward from Winnipeg, has been dynamite since coming to the Rockets from Moose Jaw at the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
The six-foot, 183-pound centre has points in six of eight games with Kelowna, totalling five goals and 11 points. Duval was riding a six-game point streak prior to being hurt.
Defenceman Aaron Borejko (head) is the other missing link. Borejko was injured during a 2-1 overtime loss to the Thunderbirds in Seattle last Saturday, but Huska was hopeful the 17-year-old Edmonton native would also be back sooner than later. The rest of the Rockets are good to go this weekend, though, as they hope to keep going strong.
"We're playing some pretty good hockey right now, and it's nice to get a bunch of games in a row," Huska said. "Hopefully we can start off the weekend on a good note with two solid games at home here."
ICE CHIPS: Everett dropped a 3-2 shootout decision in Kamloops on Wednesday, and has been struggling as of late. The Silvertips have only won once in their last 10 games – a 5-0 shutout of the cellar-dwelling Portland Winter Hawks last Saturday – with five points to speak of in that stretch, including another shootout loss to Kamloops and an overtime defeat to Tri-City... Everett is led by 17-year-old Abbotsford product Kellan Tochkin, with 14 goals and 55 points in 53 games, and 20-year-old sniper Shane Harper, with 24 goals and 51 points in 53 games... The Silvertips are backstopped by 18-year-old Chilliwack native Thomas Heemskerk, who is 4-7-0-1 with a 3.45 goals-against-average and a .903 save-percentage since being acquired from Kootenay... Everett (22-23-6-2) is holding down sixth spot in the Western Conference standings with 52 points – five back of Kamloops and two up on the Seattle Thunderbirds... Kelowna (30-19-1-2) is fourth with 63 points, six clear of Kamloops and six behind third-place Spokane... Kelowna F Colin Long is tied for ninth among WHL scoring leaders and is tops on the Rockets with 23 goals and 65 points in 48 games. F Jamie Benn is second on the Rockets and tied for 18th in league scoring with 59 points in 38 games. His 34 goals are the second most in the WHL, trailing only Joel Broda of the Calgary Hitmen who recently hit the 40-goal plateau... Mark Guggenberger will get the start in goal for Kelowna tonight. The 20-year-old netminder is 5-2-1-1 with a 2.22 GAA and .903 save-percentage since being acquired from Swift Current.
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=163042