Sports

The Kelowna Rockets may have been guilty of looking ahead instead of at the task at hand.

Riley Whittingham and Mitch Holmberg scored a minute 22 seconds apart early in the game and the Spokane Chiefs cruised to an easy 5-0 victory over the visiting Rockets.

Mike Aviani added a goal and two assists while Todd Fiddler and Brenden Kichton added singles.

The Chiefs chased Rockets starter Jordon Cooke from between the pipes after one period scoring three times on 16 shots.

Jackson Whistle took over to start the second giving up the other two goals on 22 shots over the final 40 minutes.

"You can't blame Jordon Cooke. If it wasn't for his play in the first period the score would have been a lot worse," stated assistant coach Dan Lambert during the post game radio show.

"We have up nine odd man rushes in the first period - many of those two-on-ones and breakaways."

Lambert says the back-to-back set with coming up with the Portland Winterhawks this weekend was definitely on the minds of the players.

"I think the were focused on the next game not this one," says Lambert.

"When you don't show up to play the game you're not going to win. You have to respect the game of hockey."

He says the club is not good enough to win just showing up.

"When we play the way we are capable of playing we're a great team."

Wednesday's loss was the first for the Rockets in regulation time since the Christmas break (17-0-2-0)

The Winterhawks may also have been guilty of looking ahead to the weekend.

Portland blew a two goal third period lead in a 4-3 loss at home to the Calgary Hitmen.

The Rockets will put their 23 game home ice winning streak on the line when the Winterhawks invade Kelowna in the first of back-to-back games between the two clubs at Prospera Place.

Portland come into town with 89 ;points, five better than the second place Rockets.

The teams are one-two in the Western Hockey League