PDA

View Full Version : Brown, Rockets roll Bruins, complete weekend sweep



Malc
02-23-2009, 03:03 PM
By Doyle Potenteau

Adam Brown once again looked good in red.

Making his second appearance in less than 24 hours for Kelowna, Brown backstopped the Rockets to a 4-1 road win over the Chilliwack Bruins in WHL action on Sunday evening.

On Saturday night, Brown helped Kelowna post a 3-2 victory in Everett after coming off the bench in relief.

In both games, with Kelowna wearing its red jerseys, it took the Rockets time before their offence started rolling. And had it not been for Brown, Kelowna wouldn't have had a perfect three-for-three weekend, including Friday's big 6-2 victory in Vancouver.

"We had a sluggish start against Chilliwack, and it was nice that Adam played a great game," Rockets head coach Ryan Huska said of Brown, who had a 29-save effort against Chilliwack. "He kept us in the game until we got our legs under us."
Huska also said the same thing after Saturday's contest in Everett – a game which saw starter Mark Guggenberger last less than five minutes after getting scored on twice.

Huska pulled Guggenberger and inserted Brown, who then went perfect in relief, stopping all 24 shots he faced.

"You always have to be ready, but you never expect to go in that early," Brown said on Sunday. "It was tough, but the guys battled back and we got the win."

Ryley Grantham, with a backhand goal at 10:23 of the second period that opened the scoring, Tyler Myers, Tyson Barrie and Lucas Bloodoff scored for Kelowna (38-20-1-3), which now has 80 points, one less than the third-place Spokane Chiefs (39-18-0-3) in Western Confer-ence standings.

The Chiefs, however, have two games in hand, though Kelowna plays Spokane twice more this season.

Scott MacDonald, with a late doorstep rebound in the third, replied for the Bruins (15-42-2-4), who have one more game against Kelowna this season, March 4 in Chilliwack. The Bruins are 2-5-0-0 against the Rockets this season, including a 4-3 shootout victory last Wednesday. And in the meeting prior to that, Chilliwack iced Kelowna with a 5-4 shootout win on Jan. 23.

"We really wanted to take it to them after the last two times," said Brown. "We wanted to send them a message."

After playing three games in three nights, the Rockets won't have much time for rest, for Kelowna starts a three-game Central Division road trip on Wednesday in Medicine Hat.

The Rockets then visit Red Deer on Friday and Calgary on Sunday.

"Playing three-in-three in less than 24 hours, it's hard on the body," said Huska. "Sometimes we expect a lot out of these kids, to work, work, work, to go, go, go, and that's tough. So it's important in games like these that we're able to have good, strong mental starts, where we're able to avoid (physical) mistakes."

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna was 1-for-4 on the power play; Chilliwack was 1-for-8... The three stars were all Rockets: Brown, Myers and D Collin Bowman... C Mikael Backlund had two assists for the Rockets... G Mark Friesen stopped 21 shots for the Bruins.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=166820