Kelowna Rockets outgunned BC Division leading Prince George 8-6 Wednesday

Photo: Steve Dunsmoor

If you like goals, Prospera Place was the place to be Wednesday night.

The Kelowna Rockets and Prince George Cougars put on an old fashioned, 80's style, last shot wins shootout at the old barn.

When the dust finally settled, the Rockets had the last shot in an exciting 8-6 win.

The Rockets held two goal leads on three different occasions only to watch as the Cougars battled back on each occasion, eventually tying the game at 5-5 and 6-6 before late goals from Rilen Kovacevic and Colton Dach into an empty provided enough of a cushion.

A win is a win is a win and, while head coach Kris Mallette said he will never take that away from them, at what cost did it come.

"PG is a very hungry team, they weren't going to roll over...they are a team playing with a lot of confidence and I think they surprised us," said Mallette.

"We got up one or two goals and they didn't stop coming, they didn't stop pressuring us...just turnover, turnover, turnover at some ill advised times and some lapses that mad things a little more interesting than they should have been."

It was a big night for the Rockets top offensive stars. Adam Kydd registered his first WHL hat trick and a career high five points while Andrew Cristall had a career high five assists.

Dach also scored twice, but it was the play of some of his top guns 200 feet away from the opposing goal that concerned Mallette.

"They all had great numbers statistically offensively, but they were all minus players as well, so your best players have to play at both ends and that's what I talked to them about.

"As strong as they were offensively, they've got to bring it both ways because I put them out in situations to calm us down and we got scored on."

Caden Price and Gabriel Szturc also scored for the Rockets who led 2-1 after one and 4-3 after two before the flood gates opened in the final period.

"It feels awesome," Kydd said of his three goal outburst.

"It took me a few years but it's a great feeling. I've had a lot of two goal games buy I haven't been able to get the third one."

He had a chance for a fourth with Cougars goaltender Tyler Brennan on the bench for an extra attacker, but he lost control of the puck at centre ice.

As good as the Rockets top three were offensively, the Cougars top three were just as good.

Riley Heidt, a consensus top 10 pick in next year's NHL draft had four assists and was dangerous every time he touched the puck. Koehn Ziemmer, also a likely first round pick in 2021 was two goals and an assist while overage Chase Wheatcroft had a pair of goals including a highlight reel shorthanded effort in the second.

"This 05' age group in this years draft is something special, especially out west. These kids are so creative, they make things look so easy. It bodes well for our league and I'm happy to have one or two on my team for sure.

"But, every time we play it just seems the younger they get the more skill, the more chances they take."

Cristall's five points gives him 101 in his brief career. He hit the 100 point milestone in 89 games, the second fastest Rocket to get to the century mark.

Only Jamie Benn in 73 games got to 100 quicker.

The Rockets will have to tighten things up Saturday when they travel to Kamloops to face the Blazers.