Rockets goals a mystery

Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

Jesse Shynkaruk celebrates his game winning goal Friday at Prospera Place.

Too few goals and too many penalties.

That's been the recipe for a slow start to the WHL season for the Kelowna Rockets.

The Rockets gave up two more power-play goals, and scored just twice on 38 shots against red-hot Logan Flodell in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Saskatoon Blades.

Kelowna has scored just 11 goals in their last six games, six of those coming in a win in Lethbridge.

Despite that, Kole Lind, who scored both goals, thought it was their best game of the season to date.

"We played really well as a team. Some pucks don't go our way, and with a good goalie that's playing that well, it's tough," said Lind.

"The goals we scored were at the net, and we have to do that more often."

A sentiment head coach Jason Smith agreed with.

"Getting to the net is a big part of scoring goals," said Smith.

"When we get the puck to the net, create rebounds and get second and third chances, that's where most of the goals are scored in this league as well as in the NHL."

The Rockets came out of the gate fast but, again, it was penalties that put them behind the eight-ball early.

Jesse Shynkaruk scored his first of two on the night as he banged home a rebound midway through the first on the Blades' first opportunity with the man advantage.

After Lind tied it, Mason McCarty restored the one-goal lead when a loose puck slid to him at the edge of the crease on another power-play.

The Rockets have now allowed a league-leading 16 power-play goals. They've also been shorthanded a league high 59 times.

"Discipline and penalties are something we've talked about. We're working through it and trying to manage it I think.

"Hard-working penalties and ones where we're involved in the game, we'll normally kill off. Ones where you're reaching and hooking are tough ones to kill off."

The Rockets peppered Flodell with 16 shots in a scoreless second, but were unable to find a way past the reigning CHL goalie of the week.

Shynkaruk made it 3-1 four minutes into the third when he blew past Jonathan Smart and squeezed a backhand past Broden Salmond. Smart didn't see the ice the rest of the night.

Lind got that one back in the dying minutes with Salmond on the bench for an extra attacker, but McCarty put it away with an empty netter from centre ice.

The Rockets outshot the Blades 38-17.

Kelowna get right back at it Saturday night when they try to improve on their 3-6 record against the East Division leading Swift Current Broncos.