Whistle pitches 2nd shutout

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Rodney Southam hounds Tri-City's Justin Gutierrez during the second period of Saturday's 3-0 win.

For the second straight night, Kelowna goaltender Jackson Whistle outduelled his counterpart Eric Comrie, earning another perfect sheet in a 3-0 win over the Tri-City Americans.

The win gives Whistle and the Rockets a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven WHL Western Conference quarter-final series.

Rodney Southam in the first and Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Baillie into an empty net, scored for the Rockets.

Whistle stopped all 30 shots he faced for his second consecutive shutout.

"Obviously it's a nice way to start. We just have to carry it over into Tri-City," said Whistle.

"I know the team played great both these last two games. We really took it to them and stuck to our game plan."

At the other end of the ice, Comrie could have sued for non-support.

He saw more rubber in the first period than an employee at the Goodyear Tire plant.

The 19-year-old gold medal winner made 19 of his 42 saves in the opening period, many coming on grade A chances.

Of note, he stopped Rourke Chartier on two chances close in, beat Riley Stadel on a partial breakaway, stuffed Gage Quinney on a wraparound, then foiled rookie Kole Lind on a one-timer from the top of the crease.

He then robbed Chartier again in the third period.

Southam, the former American, scored what proved to be the game winner nearly eight minutes in.

Tomas Soustal did all the work on this one as he twisted and turned in the right faceoff circle, shook off a defender and found Southam in front who fired a one-timer high blocker side.

As was the case in game one, the Rockets couldn't build on the lead but, unlike Friday, the Americans pushed back and had several chances to even the score.

The best chance came on a two-man breakaway with the Americans shorthanded.

"I tried to wait for them to make the first move," said Whistle of the play.

"I think he (Justin Gutierrez) passed it and passed back and missed or someone got back and got it. It was a great play I think by Chartier to get back there."

Moments later Whistle stoned Vladislav Lukin on a clear cut breakaway. He made three or four big saves with the score 1-0 in the third before Draisaitl finally gave the Rockets some breathing room with four minutes left.

"I think their defenceman just threw it up the middle and I got lucky to pick it up then I saw a little spot there and I got fortunate to hit it," said Draisaitl.

The shot, using defenceman Parker Wotherspoon as a screen, also went high blocker side just under the crossbar.

"We obviously know where we want to shoot or where we can score on him," said Draisaitl.

"A lot of times it's just getting pucks on net and trying to look for rebounds."

Draisaitl also assisted on the insurance goal, when his pass from the corner found Tyson Baillie at the corner of the net. Baillie tapped home the empty netter with 90 seconds left.

The Americans showed more push on Saturday than they did in the 6-0 loss in game one Friday – especially in the second period and early in the third.

"It was certainly not the same game we played last night. I thought they had a little bit of a hard push and Comrie made some big saves in the first period," said Rockets head coach Dan Lambert.

"In the second I felt we got away from our game plan a little bit but we have to give them credit because they came hard. That's what they are going to do... they're not going to lay down."

Lambert said it was a combination of what the Americans did and what the Rockets were not doing.

The Rockets power-play, first in the league during the regular season, continues to fire blanks in the post season.

Kelowna went 0-3 with the man advantage Saturday.

Whistle equalled a team record with his second straight playoff shutout, a feat turned first by Derek Yeomans  when he pitched back to back shutouts against Seattle in 2005.

The Rockets record for consecutive shutout minutes is held by Kelly Guard, who went 155 minutes and eight seconds without allowing a goal during the 2003 playoffs.

However, Saturday's win did come at a cost.

Defenceman Devante Stephens left the game in the first period with an apparent leg injury when he was involved in what looked like a knee-on-knee collision with Americans forward Maxwell James.

Stephens hobbled to the bench and didn't return to the ice.

If he isn't available when the series resumes in Tri-City Tuesday, Mitchell Wheaton could return to the lineup.

Wheaton hasn't played since early October.

Game four in the series goes Wednesday in Tri-City.

Should a fifth game be needed it would be played Friday back at Prospera Place.