dondo
01-20-2013, 01:13 AM
not a bad game, but yet another almost outing
Rockets Blast Giants
Vancouver 3 Kelowna 5
Kelowna earned their 18th consecutive home ice victory, setting a franchise record. The Giants got the benefit of the doubt from the refs tonight as the Rockets only got one PP chance. The fans at Prospera didn’t seem too pleased especially when the G’s laid the body. Once again the G’s allowed an early goal. They bounced back quickly scoring one of their own. The Rockets added two more before the end of the first. Jared Rathjen who was pretty solid between the pipes tonight faced 17 shots in the opening frame, some of the very tough variety. He kept his team close for most of the game, but as the Giants have done all season they got close, but were never able to get that goal that really changed the momentum in their favour. Bad puck luck followed them as well tonight as a puck shot wide came off the back-boards and caromed off the back of Rathjen’s skate and in for the Rockets third goal of the night. That goal really proved to be the proverbial straw which took down the camel. The Giants closed to within 1 goal twice in the game, before allowing the Rockets to open the gap back to two. The G’s PP was pretty sharp tonight and the PK though not very busy was good in it’s one kill. Again the Giants worked hard, but could not get over the hump and made some rookie errors early which had them battling from behind.
Kelowna opened the scoring. Brendan Rouse bounced back less than two minutes later. Dalton Sward and Brett Kulak had the assists. The Rockets pressed back scoring a couple of minutes later to regain their one goal lead. Later in the period, when it felt like the Giants were pushing back and working to get back into this one, the puck off the backboards deflected off Rathjen and into the net. It was a tough goal to give and deflated the boys for the rest of the period. The Giants came out in the second ready to fight back. They earned a PP keeping their feet moving and being taken down with a trip. Franson scored on the ensuing PP, tipping a Reid Zalitach shot past Jordon Cooke. Tyler Morrison had the other assist. The Rockets got that back about five minutes later when Carter Rigby scored his hat-trick marker for the Kelowna squad. Franson got another PP marker early in the third that was almost a carbon copy of his first goal. This time tipping a Kulak shot past Cooke, with Rouse getting the other helper on the play. The Rockets clawed that one back mid-third and held on for their 18th straight home victory, setting a new franchise record winning streak at home. Rathjen had to be sharp to keep his team close and made some stops down the stretch that made the score more respectable, but took the loss despite some solid work.
Team Notes: Rouse is on a bit of a points streak, scoring a hungry goal in the last two games and adding assists. Hanlon thought Geertsen played his best game since the Eastern road swing. He was saying he might have been trying to do too much and the team settled him down a bit having him simplify his game. It seemed to work. I prefer when he plays with an edge best though. The Giants were disciplined tonight and limited chances for penalties against. Hanlon felt that the boys did a good job not getting caught scrambling and as result none of those desperation penalties were taken.
Fight Night: none and not too many roughing scrums either.
Zebra Cage: Fraser Lawrence and Brett Montsion. Favoured the G’s in this one, but the Rockets penalties seemed to be more of the interference/tripping variety, the ones you get when you are chasing from behind. Houck took a late cross-checking penalty, the only one the Giants were given.
The Rockets out shot the Giants 36-22. They went 0 for 1 on the PP while the Giants were 2 for 6 (2 for 5 actually as the final penalty was a grand total of thirteen seconds before the end of the game). Franson was in the right place to tip pucks on the PP tonight. Sward was better making power-forward kinds of moves – the kind he should be doing three or four times a game if he wants to be effective and more productive. I still say he should be a Machacek-type of player or even Bouma and use his body and physicality to create room for himself. I still need to see him that way for more shifts in a game, but he was good tonight. Sward, Ast and Franson were evens tonight, with Franson getting his points on the PP, so they were very dependable on a night where the Rockets scored 5 even-strength goals. Rouse was noticed tonight and not just on the score-sheet. Geertsen very solid on the back-end and Kulak and Orban were solid as well. I liked the all-16 line of Foster, Vickerman and Leone. Vickerman had a rough minus night (-3), but he was better playing with the other two young guys. The third line had a rough minus night with Vickerman, Popoff and Kieser dragging –3s behind each of them.
I’m still scratching my head over the goalie starts lately though. Lee should have been in for the Ams, Rathjen last night versus his old team and Lee tonight to try to break Kelowna’s home streak. I do not blame Rathjen for tonight’s loss in the least, but I just find it odd. Why couldn’t we have done this with the young guys last season (and the season before that) and play them 1, 1a. Lee better not be the starter that finally gets the 60-40 split after all that crap about playing your starter lip-service we have been fed for four seasons – ruining young potentially great goaltenders in the process. However, I do get that Lee had a seriously ugly night last night and didn’t deserve the start tonight, but to be honest he shouldn’t have been between the pipes versus Victoria in the first place, Rathjen should have been.
Next Up: The third game of three in three is a very winnable game versus the Everett Silvertips. Sadly the Silvertips have slid games away from us this season and it’s time for some pay-back. The G’s have to not get behind early and press from the get-go and force the Tips to push back if they want to win. Kootenay is on a tear right now going something like 11-1 and the G’s are noticing and thinking why not us. It all starts with wins versus teams we can compete against and Everett fits the bill.
Three Stars
1. Carter Rigby
2. Cain Franson
3. Colton Heffley
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to – Franson.. I heard his name a lot tonight and he was very effective on the PP, not exactly a warrior game, but an effective one.
Rockets Blast Giants
Vancouver 3 Kelowna 5
Kelowna earned their 18th consecutive home ice victory, setting a franchise record. The Giants got the benefit of the doubt from the refs tonight as the Rockets only got one PP chance. The fans at Prospera didn’t seem too pleased especially when the G’s laid the body. Once again the G’s allowed an early goal. They bounced back quickly scoring one of their own. The Rockets added two more before the end of the first. Jared Rathjen who was pretty solid between the pipes tonight faced 17 shots in the opening frame, some of the very tough variety. He kept his team close for most of the game, but as the Giants have done all season they got close, but were never able to get that goal that really changed the momentum in their favour. Bad puck luck followed them as well tonight as a puck shot wide came off the back-boards and caromed off the back of Rathjen’s skate and in for the Rockets third goal of the night. That goal really proved to be the proverbial straw which took down the camel. The Giants closed to within 1 goal twice in the game, before allowing the Rockets to open the gap back to two. The G’s PP was pretty sharp tonight and the PK though not very busy was good in it’s one kill. Again the Giants worked hard, but could not get over the hump and made some rookie errors early which had them battling from behind.
Kelowna opened the scoring. Brendan Rouse bounced back less than two minutes later. Dalton Sward and Brett Kulak had the assists. The Rockets pressed back scoring a couple of minutes later to regain their one goal lead. Later in the period, when it felt like the Giants were pushing back and working to get back into this one, the puck off the backboards deflected off Rathjen and into the net. It was a tough goal to give and deflated the boys for the rest of the period. The Giants came out in the second ready to fight back. They earned a PP keeping their feet moving and being taken down with a trip. Franson scored on the ensuing PP, tipping a Reid Zalitach shot past Jordon Cooke. Tyler Morrison had the other assist. The Rockets got that back about five minutes later when Carter Rigby scored his hat-trick marker for the Kelowna squad. Franson got another PP marker early in the third that was almost a carbon copy of his first goal. This time tipping a Kulak shot past Cooke, with Rouse getting the other helper on the play. The Rockets clawed that one back mid-third and held on for their 18th straight home victory, setting a new franchise record winning streak at home. Rathjen had to be sharp to keep his team close and made some stops down the stretch that made the score more respectable, but took the loss despite some solid work.
Team Notes: Rouse is on a bit of a points streak, scoring a hungry goal in the last two games and adding assists. Hanlon thought Geertsen played his best game since the Eastern road swing. He was saying he might have been trying to do too much and the team settled him down a bit having him simplify his game. It seemed to work. I prefer when he plays with an edge best though. The Giants were disciplined tonight and limited chances for penalties against. Hanlon felt that the boys did a good job not getting caught scrambling and as result none of those desperation penalties were taken.
Fight Night: none and not too many roughing scrums either.
Zebra Cage: Fraser Lawrence and Brett Montsion. Favoured the G’s in this one, but the Rockets penalties seemed to be more of the interference/tripping variety, the ones you get when you are chasing from behind. Houck took a late cross-checking penalty, the only one the Giants were given.
The Rockets out shot the Giants 36-22. They went 0 for 1 on the PP while the Giants were 2 for 6 (2 for 5 actually as the final penalty was a grand total of thirteen seconds before the end of the game). Franson was in the right place to tip pucks on the PP tonight. Sward was better making power-forward kinds of moves – the kind he should be doing three or four times a game if he wants to be effective and more productive. I still say he should be a Machacek-type of player or even Bouma and use his body and physicality to create room for himself. I still need to see him that way for more shifts in a game, but he was good tonight. Sward, Ast and Franson were evens tonight, with Franson getting his points on the PP, so they were very dependable on a night where the Rockets scored 5 even-strength goals. Rouse was noticed tonight and not just on the score-sheet. Geertsen very solid on the back-end and Kulak and Orban were solid as well. I liked the all-16 line of Foster, Vickerman and Leone. Vickerman had a rough minus night (-3), but he was better playing with the other two young guys. The third line had a rough minus night with Vickerman, Popoff and Kieser dragging –3s behind each of them.
I’m still scratching my head over the goalie starts lately though. Lee should have been in for the Ams, Rathjen last night versus his old team and Lee tonight to try to break Kelowna’s home streak. I do not blame Rathjen for tonight’s loss in the least, but I just find it odd. Why couldn’t we have done this with the young guys last season (and the season before that) and play them 1, 1a. Lee better not be the starter that finally gets the 60-40 split after all that crap about playing your starter lip-service we have been fed for four seasons – ruining young potentially great goaltenders in the process. However, I do get that Lee had a seriously ugly night last night and didn’t deserve the start tonight, but to be honest he shouldn’t have been between the pipes versus Victoria in the first place, Rathjen should have been.
Next Up: The third game of three in three is a very winnable game versus the Everett Silvertips. Sadly the Silvertips have slid games away from us this season and it’s time for some pay-back. The G’s have to not get behind early and press from the get-go and force the Tips to push back if they want to win. Kootenay is on a tear right now going something like 11-1 and the G’s are noticing and thinking why not us. It all starts with wins versus teams we can compete against and Everett fits the bill.
Three Stars
1. Carter Rigby
2. Cain Franson
3. Colton Heffley
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to – Franson.. I heard his name a lot tonight and he was very effective on the PP, not exactly a warrior game, but an effective one.