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Malc
03-09-2009, 01:27 PM
By Doyle Potenteau

Jamie Benn wasn‘t going to miss a second time. Not with the game on the line.

After missing a wide-open net in the second period, Benn capped a game-winning rally for Kelowna, in overtime, as the Rockets scored three unanswered goals to beat the Vancouver Giants 3-2 in WHL action on Saturday night. The trailer on a three-on-two rush, Kelowna‘s leading goal scorer tucked home his 42nd marker of the season as the Rockets defeated the Giants for the third straight time.

“I don‘t think we have their number, but we do get excited to play them,” said Benn, who hammered a shot at a wide-open Vancouver net in the second, only to have his blast from the right faceoff circle go wide.

Mind you, the Giants also missed a golden scoring chance in the third, with Casey Pierro-Zabotel fumbling away an in-close goal into a half-empty Rockets cage.

“It was a good play by (Colin) Long and (Stepan) Novotny to get me the puck (in the second), and the whole net was open. But, hey, that‘s just the way it goes sometimes,” said Benn, whose team is now 12-0 against playoff-bound teams since Feb. 1 and 15-2-0-1 overall. “Right now, we‘re on a bit of a hot streak and we‘re winning some games.

“We‘re excited to play right now, and everybody‘s working hard and doing the little things right to get the wins.”

Colin Long, with his 32nd goal, and Tyler Myers, with his ninth, also scored for Kelowna (43-21-1-3), which trailed 2-0 midway through the second period. Long made it 2-1 just before the middle frame expired, then Myers levelled the score early in the third with a long point shot following a feed from Long.

Garry Nunn, with his 25th goal, and J.T. Barnett, with his first, scored for Vancouver (55-8-2-3), which, for just the second time this season, suffered back-to-back losses. In early October, the Giants suffered back-to-back shootout decisions, though Vancouver has not lost back-to-back games in regulation time.

Mark Guggenberger made 29 saves for the Rockets, who have four regular-season games remaining, including two home dates. Tyson Sexsmith turned aside 21 shots for the Giants.

ICE CHIPS: Kelowna‘s scratches were RW Kyle St. Denis (concussion, one week) and D Aaron Borejko. Vancouver‘s scratches were LW Lance Bouma (hand, 2-3 weeks), C Mike Piluso (shoulder, 1-2 weeks), C Mikhail Fisenko and D Bronson Maschmeyer.

http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories_local_sports.php?id=169910