Lind, Rockets red hot

Photo: Marissa Baecker

The Kelowna Rockets are unbeaten since Kole Lind was sent home from the Canadian junior selection camp.

Lind has been on fire.

The Vancouver Canucks second round draft choice in June scored all three goals Friday in the Rockets 3-0 victory in Kamloops.

He has had his hand in the last eight Kelowna goals. He scored the last four, including the lone regulation goal in a 2-1 shootout win Wednesday against the Blazers, and assisted on the last four goals in Saskatoon just before the Christmas break.

Since his return, Lind has been in on 11 (seven goals) of the Rockets 16 regulation-time goals.

Friday in Kamloops, Lind scored what proved to be the game-winner on a power play midway through the first period.

He made it 2-0, again on the power play, midway through the second, before closing off the natural hat trick just seconds after a penalty had expired, two minutes later.

Nolan Foote assisted on two of the goals.

James Porter, who had a string of nearly 150 minutes of shutout hockey snapped late in Wednesday's win, turned away 28 shots for his second shutout in three starts.

The Rockets have won four straight overall and 11 in a row on home ice to move into top spot in the BC Division, two points up on Victoria.

They put both streaks on the line Saturday when the Royals pay a visit to Prospera Place.

The teams have met once previously in Kelowna, with the Royals coming away with an 8-3 victory.