Local News's blog
Scouts honour
Thu, 2010-03-11 12:22.
What are NHL scouts saying about several draft eligible players for the Kelowna Rockets? I spoke to three of them, all anonymous, so they could give me an honest, unbiased opinion of the players in question.Brett Bulmer:
Scout #1: "Brett Bulmer has improved tremendously from the beginning of the year. His skating has improved, but the thing that we really like is he is being very creative. He is using his size more, he is using his stick skills. He can tease a player...he can tease a d-man with the puck and then pull it away. He has a quick shot and he is not afraid to go one-on-one with the d-man. He is still as weak as a noodle, but he has a great frame and once he gets bigger and stronger, that's going to come. The way he thinks the game and the way he's able to see the ice so well..he has a lot of upside to him."
Three game winning streak over!
Wed, 2010-03-10 13:00.
Barrie is first Rockets d-man to score three goals
Sun, 2010-03-07 00:08.
- Tyler Myers never did it. Shea Weber couldn't accomplish it. Even offensive defenceman Josh Gorges couldn't pull it off. Tyson Barrie became the first Kelowna Rockets defenceman to score three goals in a game, leading his team to an impressive 3-0 shutout win Saturday night over the Vancouver Giants. Barrie scored twice on the power play and then scored the natural hattrick into an empty net for the Rockets third straight win.
- Barrie's three goal effort is just another example of how valuable he is to this team.
Scoring/power play is Rockets downfall
Mon, 2010-03-01 08:48.
- Missed opportunities, both on the power play and even strength, cost the Kelowna Rockets a win in Calgary Saturday night. The Rockets were 0 for 6 on the power play, including a 5 on 3 chance late in the first period, in a 2-1 road loss. Had the Rockets scored a goal with Cody Sylvester and Giffen Nyren in the box for tripping, it would have gone a long way in an attempt of knocking off a team that has lost just 8 times on home ice this season.
- With the game less than three minutes old, forward Tyler Matheson squares off and fights Hitmen enforcer Rigby Burgart. A draw in my books, the fight was a good sign by Matheson, who had been a healthy scratch the past two games. I think what it showed his teammates was as important as what it showed him. Matheson can contribute, and it showed his teammates that if he's pulling on the rope for the greater good of the team, so should I. Matheson's early bout provided energy for the team and that shouldn't be overlooked.
- The goaltenders in this game were solid. I have to talk about Adam Brown again for his strong play. So many solid stops stand out, but the glove hand save off of Hitmen's leading point getter Brandon Kozun in the second period just shows you what kind of zone Brown is in right now. Kozun finds a lane to the net and has a clear one-on-one chance between the hash marks with Brown. Kozun fires a wrist shot to the glove hand corner of Brown, who calmly makes the save. Brown was also force to make a breakaway save off of Joel Broda during a second period power play.
I left Lethbridge scratching my head
Wed, 2010-02-24 23:18.
Lots of shots, little results
Mon, 2010-02-22 11:19.
- Snake bitten. That may best describe the Kelowna Rockets woes in the offensive zone in two of three losses on the weekend. After firing 37 shots at the Portland Winterhawk net in a 3-2 loss Saturday, the Rockets upped that total to 43 one night later in a 3-1 loss Sunday to the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Rockets were so desperate to get the tying goal late in the game that they threw Tyson Barrie up front as a forward in an effort to send the game into overtime.
- In this game, the Rockets power play didn't really have a chance to flex its muscle. Only one power play was awarded the visitors, ending abruptly after defenceman Antonie Corbin took an interference penalty.
