Rockets nip Royals in OT

Photo: Wayne Moore

Dylan Myskiw got the best of Dillon Dube on this breakaway Saturday.

Dillon Dube had a four-point night including the game winner in OT, and the Kelowna Rockets shook off a sluggish start with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Victoria Royals.

The Rockets seemed to have trouble early on with the heightened pace to Saturday's game. after Friday's blowout of the Vancouver Giants.

"We didn't start the way wanted, but we hung in there and grinded it out," said head coach Jason Smith.

"We didn't let them get too far ahead. And, when you give yourself a chance and stay in the game, you have an opportunity to win."

Michael Herringer was the best Rocket early. He stopped Matthew Phillips on an early breakaway and Vladimir Bobylev on a partial break in the first. Then, he stoned Regan Nagy on a two-on-one early in the second, just after the Royals had taken a 2-1 lead.

Then, a 15 second spurt by Calvin Thurkauf, when he single handedly pinned three Royals in their own end on a Victoria power play turned the game around. It energized the bench, energized the crowd, and seemed to throw the Royals off their game enough.

"He has the ability to score goals and is a very reliable player who can kill penalties and build momentum that way.

"Anytime you can waste 25 seconds on the penalty kill in their zone...it gives you an opportunity to build some energy, and that's what he did."

Trailing 2-1 and carrying the play, the Rockets finally got the inevitable 2-2 goal when Dube chipped in his first of the night and 18th of the season and a perfect feed out of the corner from Thurkauf.

A little over three minutes later, Rodney Southam banged home his 17th on a rebound on the power play.

The Rockets looked as if they would skate away with the win in regulation ti,me, but a double minor to Thurkauf, including an unsportsmanlike minor for something he said to the referee, opened the door for the Royals.

Dane Hannoun slammed home his second of the night on a one-timer from the right circle to tie it.

A late delay of game penalty gave the Rockets a man advantage with 1:07 to go in regulation time.

They were unable to get the winner in the third, but, playing four-on-three in overtime, Dube drilled his second of the night on an identical play, taking Cal Foote's saucer pass from the high slot, and one-timing a shot past Dylan Myskiw.

Te four point night gives Dube seven points over the two games on the weekend. Over the last 11 games, he has 11 goals and 24 points.

Reid Gardiner also scored for Kelowna, improving his point streak to 15 games. He has 10 goals and 11 assists over that span.

The Rockets scored three times on the power play while allowing the Royals just one goal on their six chances.

"It was huge," Dube said of the Rockets' special teams Saturday.

"We've been working on that a lot, and our PK, we've been doing video every single day. That's a huge part to our game, and in the playoffs, special teams is one of the biggest things."

The Rockets have now won seven in a row, and 10 of their last 11.

They remain two points in back of BC Division leading Prince George, as the Cougars edged Spokane 4-3 Saturday.

The Rockets have three games remaining in the regular season, a home date with Everett Wednesday, and a home-and-home with Vancouver next weekend to close out the season.

The Cougars close with a home-and-home with the Kamloops Blazers. The Rockets can clinch the BC Division title by sweeping the final three regular season game

.