Swift Current score three in the third to defeat the Kelowna Rockets 6-3

Photo: Steve Dunsmoor

The Swift Current Broncos rode into Prospera Place at the tail end of a tough BC Division road trip and galloped out with a well earned 6-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets Saturday night.

Leading 3-2 in the third Rylan Gould banged home a rebound on a Broncos power play with what eventually stood up as the game winner.

The Rockets pressed the Broncos after that and eventually got rewarded when former Bronco Dawson Gerwing tipped home Rowan Guest’s point shot off an offensive zone faceoff. The play was reviewed for a possible high stick making contact with the puck but the goal was allowed to stand.

That’s as close as they got as the Broncos put it away with a pair of empty net goals.

It was a strange game in that it had its share of feistiness at times but really lacked emotion.

“It was kind of run and gun hockey, back and forth. We lacked attention to detail away from the puck trying to chase the game with the puck,” said interim head coach Derrick Martin.

“You leave the game within the margins when you do that and that’s what tonight’s game was. It could have gone either way b ut we were just on the wrong side of it.”

The Rockets played their best hockey of the night over the final 10 minutes, playing with the urgency missing over the first two periods plus.

“I thought we were sluggish tonight, which led to a lot of mental mistakes.

“You’re right, that’s part of the story line for sure.”

Jackson Gillespie scored twice for the Rockets on identical plays off the faceoff to the left of goaltender Joey Rocha.

In both instances, Rocha was screened, craning his neck to see around bodies in front. Gillespie hit the far corner with the first and the short side with the second. He also got some help from the linesman on the second when Michael Cicek drew the puck off the linesman’s shin and directly back to Gillespie.

“We have worked on faceoffs but both of Gilly’s goals…he just plays patient, lets the seam open up and makes great shots on both of the two.”

Gillespie also assisted on Grewing’s goal for a career-high three point night.

Former Rocket Marek Rocak made a triumphant return to Prospera Place scoring once and adding a pair of assists.

Rocak’s goal, a wrist shot from the slot off the rush was the back breaker, tying the game 2-2 with 4.4 seconds left on the clock in the first.

Jake Pilon went the distance for the second straight night, allowing four goals on 38 shots.

The Rockets, who have now lost six in a row are last in the 11 team Western Conference with 37 points.

Seattle edged Medicine Hat in a shootout to move into a tie with Kamloops for the eighth and final playoff spot, a point up on Wenatchee and two on the Rockets.

The Rockets now hit the road for back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday in Victoria before returning home to host Prince George Friday and Tri-City Saturday.