Rockets lose, take strides

Photo: Wayne Moore

Baby steps. That may have to be the mantra of the Kelowna Rockets over the short term as they look to find their identity.

Despite losing 4-3 to the Victoria Royals Friday at Prospera Place, took a much needed step forward with a much better workmanlike effort than they had Wednesday against Vancouver.

They pushed the pace offensively, generated more scoring chances with a harder forecheck and cycle, and spent a lot more time inside the Victoria end each time they gained entry.

But, it was a lack of finish, especially during the opening 40 minutes that took its toll on a team fighting its confidence after winning just once now in seven outings.

"Scoring goals is about building confidence and capitalizing off of opportunities and creating opportunities," said Rockets head coach Jason Smith.

"When your team is struggling to put pucks in the net, you have to put that extra effort in battling around the 10 foot area, and just put pucks on the net. You've got to put pucks to the net, you've got to get to the net and work through it."

The Rockets did a lot of that Friday. Their power play, which had gone zero for its last 25 chances also showed some signs of life, and eventually connected when Lassie Thomson blasted home a one-timer from the top of the left circle.

Liam Kindree also provided a spark as he returned to the lineup after missing the past few weeks with an injury suffered during the pre season.

Kindree scored the Rockets opening goal just eight seconds after the Royals had grabbed a 2-0 lead. Kindree stripped the puck from a Royals' defenceman, then played give-and-go with Mark Liwiski before deking Griffen Outhouse and tucking the puck into the wide open net.

"My confidence I thought was there for the game today. The staff has done a great job at keeping me in game shape and ready to come back," said Kindree.

"I guess it did show, and that's good news because I worked pretty hard to keep that good shape."

The Royals, who scored three times with the man advantaged Friday, broke the game open with a pair of goals with the man advantage in the second.

Dante Hannoun scored his second when a shot from the point bounced off the end board right onto his stick at the other post.

D-Jay Jerome made it 4-1 six minutes later. He chipped at a loose puck near the Rockets crease. James Porter dove to block it, but inadvertently knocked it just over the goal line. A video review showed the puck just crossed the line before Porter swatted it away.

The Rockets were all over the Royals in the third and were rewarded when Thomson's third made it 4-2 midway through the final stanza.

Leif Mattson slid home his sixth two minutes later to get Kelowna to within a goal, but, they were unable to find a way to get the equalizer behind Outhouse.

"If we work and compete and pay attention to detail throughout the game as much as we did tonight, we'll get opportunities to win games," said Smith.

The Rockets, 1-6 on the year, head to Seattle to face the Thunderbirds Saturday.

It will be a welcome break for the team which has played its first seven games against BC Division competition.

The same T-Birds will make a return visit to Prospera Place next Wednesday.