Rockets win ugly, run streak to 11

It wasn't pretty but it's one the Kelowna Rockets will take.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Adam Lowry (17) scored three times in a losing cause as Swift Current fell to the Rockets 6-5 Wednesday.

After a lacklustre opening 40 minutes in which the Swift Current Broncos held leads of 2-0 and 3-1, the Rockets roared back with four goals in the third in a 6-5 victory at Prospera Place.

"Winning ugly," says how Rockets head coach Ryan Huska described it.

"I don't think we had a lot of jump tonight - we were flat. I think a lot of it had to do with Swift Current playing a very good road game. They tried to force us to play through them, they have a bigger group and I thought they did a good job of that," says Huska.

"Once things started to open things up in the third period I thought we got a little bit better."

Huska says he thought the Broncos started to tire in the third period after a long night in Kamloops the night before.

"They lost a few guys to injuries and had a short bench last night. I think finding a way to score opportune goals was a big thing for us too."

Those opportune goals came from six different players as Zach Franko, Ryan Olsen, JT Barnett, Madison Bowey, Dylen McKinlay and Cody Fowlie all managed to get the puck past Broncos netminder Eetu Laurikainen.

Bowey's goal gave the Rockets their first lead of the night midway through the final period when he took a cross-ice pass from Fowlie off the rush and beat Laurikainen high glove side from the slot.

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Rockets Tyrell Goulbourne comes away with the puck after two Broncos defenders collide behind the Swift Current net

"That's kind of the way I play it. If we're down a goal or need to come back I want to contribute offensively," stated Bowey.

"If I can see a place where I can jump up and join the play and produce offensive, I'll take it. I got a good goal there and I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time."

Adam Lowry almost single handedly ended the Rockets home ice winning streak scoring three times and picking up an assist.

Lowry opened the scoring 32 seconds in when he directed a centering pass past Jordon Cooke with his skate after Cooke gave the puck away behind his net with an errant pass.

He would make it 2-0 in the second when he beat Cooke five-home with a shorthanded penalty shot.

Franko got one back when his cross-ice centering pass for Myles Bell caught the far corner of the net instead.

Olsen would draw the Rockets again to within a goal in the final minute of the second tapping home Bell's centering pass on a power-play.

The Rockets managed just 23 shots, including a measly 11 over the first 40 minutes.

Kelowna's power-play also struggled scoring just once in four chances while giving up a pair of goals.

The Broncos were 1-6 with the man advantage.

The Rockets have now won 11 straight on home ice and again climbed to within nine points of BC Division leading Kamloops. Kelowna holds three games in hand on the Blazers.

Kelowna looks to run their streak to an even dozen when they host Prince George Saturday - their final home game before Christmas.