233159
227566
WHL  

Rockets offence awakens

The Kelowna Rockets snapped out of a five game offensive funk Monday afternoon in a convincing 7-4 win over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds.

Rourke Chartier ended a five-game scoring drought with the hat trick, while Justin Kirkland snapped a four-game drought with a pair. Tyson Baillie and Cole Linaker, with his first since Dec. 12, also scored for the Rockets.

It was the same story in the first period for a Rockets team that has looked out of sorts in the last five games.

They managed just eight shots and didn't look dangerous in trailing 1-0 after 20.

But Chartier's first, a shorthanded marker seconds before Baillie was set to return after his double minor, sparked the Rockets offence.

A perfect saucer pass from Kirkland found Chartier behind the Seattle defence just outside the blue line. He streaked in all alone and snapped a wrist shot far post and in.

"Maybe it was a confidence thing. I thought shortly after that kill we brought the momentum," said Chartier.

"It was nice to see after the first period."

After the goal the Rockets had several odd-man rushes, but Baillie and Linaker were unable to convert on their chances.

Kirkland finally put the Rockets up when he converted a pass from Baillie after the Rockets had all kinds of pressure in the Seattle zone.

"We're such a good hockey team. When we work and we compete, not a lot of teams can hang with us," said head coach Brad Ralph.

"It's a lot of fun watching them play that way. Watching them compete and win those battles. That's what you saw."

The T-Birds got power-play goals late in the second and early in the third to go up by one.

Ralph said that second power-play goal, with Dillon Dube in the box after he had been cross checked in the face, helped turn the game around.

The Rockets took over for good, scoring four unanswered goals from Linaker and Baillie on the power play and a pair from Chartier to put Kelowna up 6-3.

Chartier's third of the night was a thing of beauty.

He was tripped up by Seattle defence man Jared Pelechaty, but, on one knee with his other skate on Pelechaty's stick, was still able to roof a wrist shot.

The two power-play goals were the first for the Rockets in six games, snapping an 0-18 string.

"It was a huge lift for our team. Our power play has been struggling of late and Seattle has the best penalty kill in the league.

"A big part of our team is our power play and it takes a tremendous amount of work ethic to be successful on the power play. We need those guys going and it's great to see them get rewarded."

Michael Herringer turned aside 27 shots in the win.

The Rockets have now won all three games played on the B.C. Day holiday.

Both teams hit the road back to Seattle for the back half of the home-and-home series tomorrow night. For both, it will be their fourth game in five nights.

The Rockets will be looking to avenge a 2-0 loss in Seattle nine days ago.

Monday's win leaves the Rockets two points up on Victoria and three clear of Lethbridge in the battle for the overall lead in the Western Hockey League.

Victoria kept pace with a 6-4 win over Everett.



More WHL articles



231274