254034
253013
WHL  

Brandon scored three power play goals in a 7-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets

Penalties Rockets undoing

Special teams were the difference Tuesday night as the Brandon Wheat Kings dumped the Kelowna Rockets 7-3 before 3,357 fans at Prospera Place.

The Wheat Kings scored three times with the man advantage while the game was still up for grabs while the Rockets were unable to generate much on their two opportunities, both in the opening period.

“We were not very detailed on the penalty kill. A couple of the penalties we took were hard poenalties…guys had no choice but to take them and those are the ones you expect to kill off,” said head coach Derrick Martin.

“I just thought our details lacked on that end of the game tonight.

“Then I thought in the second period we chased the scoreboard again and if you look on our bench it’s defeated and it just keeps coming wave after wave.”

It didn’t help the Rockets are fighting the injury and illness bug.Max Graham and Gabriel Guilbault are both out with lower body injuries while Jaxon Kehrig is suffering through an upper body injury.

Michael Cicek and Will Sharpe both missed the game with an illness leaving the team with just 11 forwards and five defencemen.

Former Kelowna Rocket Nolan Flamand, playing his first game at Prospera as a member of the Wheat Kings had a career high four points, two goals and two assists, in leading Brandon to the win. Luke Shipley, in front of a large contingent of family and friends, scored twice and added an assist.

Dominik Petr, Caleb Hadland and Matteo Michels also scored for Brandon while Quinn Mantei added four assists.

Hayden Paupanekis scored in the second to cut the deficit to 2-1 at the time before the Wheat Kings reeled off five in a row.

Dawson Garwing and Jakub Stancl scored late to make the final score a little more respectable.

The Rockets had a number of chances early on when the score was still close but were unable to make the most of those opportunities.

“Looking off too many opportunities to shoot pucks and it shows on the shot clock.

“We are getting opportunities but we have to finish some of those. As a group we have to pick away at all the details.

“You do things not until you get it right but you do it until you can’t get it wrong and we are still getting it wrong a little too much.”

Martin says the team is not losing confidence but rather are showing their immaturity at times.

For the second straight start Rhett Stoesser faced 50 plus shots as the Wheat Kings outshot the Rockets 55-23.

The Rockets are back at it again this weekend, facing the Blazers Friday in Kamloops before returning home to host the Vancouver Giants Saturday at 6 p.m.



More WHL articles