Rockets fail to win on weekend

Max Graham scored for Kelowna while Rhett Stoesser made 24 saves in the game. 

GAME SUMMARY

Vancouver would open the scoring quickly in the first period with Calgary Flames prospect Jaden Lipinski scoring his fourth goal of the season on the power play just 2:57 into the game. The Giants lead wouldn't last long however, as captain Max Graham would score a power play goal of his own as the 20-year-old prospect of the New Jersey Devils beat Vancouver goaltender Matthew Hutchison in tight to tie the game at one. 

The game would remain tied until just before the midway point of the second period when Ty Halaburda broke in shorthanded on a two-on-one and beat Stoesser to the blocker side to put Vancouver up by one, which stood as the game winner. Halaburda would score his second of the game and 11th of the season into the empty net for the victory. 

ADDITIONAL STATS

• Vancouver outshot Kelowna 27-23
• Kelowna went 1/4 on the power play while Vancouver went 1/6 while also scoring a shorthanded goal
• Rhett Stoesser made 24 saves in the game

UP NEXT

Kelowna will now head to Wenatchee for a date with the Wild on New Year's Eve at 5 PM. They'll wrap up their road trip on January 3rd against Kamloops before returning home on January 4th to host the Vancouver Giants with puck drop going at 6:05 PM.

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ROCKETS FALL AGAINST BLAZERS

The Kelowna Rockets got the first goal of the game from rookie Kalder Varga but fell 3-1 to the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd at Prospera Place.

Goaltender Jake Pilon made 45 saves in the loss. 

GAME SUMMARY

The Rockets came out quick in this game as Kayden Longley did some great work down low, stripping the Blazers defenceman near the goal line before finding Kalder Varga out front where the 16-year-old forward fired the puck past Blazers goaltender Dylan Ernst for a 1-0 lead just six minutes into the game. The goal was Varga's sixth of the season and first on home ice.  

The teams would trade chances through the remainder of the first period and throughout the second period but Varga's tally would remain the lone goal until the third period where Kamloops would tie the game at 7:01 in the third when Nathan Behm potted his 19th of the season on the power play. Kamloops would take the lead for good with a second power play goal when John Szabo beat Pilon for his sixth of the season with under five minutes to play which stood as the game winner. Szabo would add the empty netter to ice the game for the Blazers. 

"When we do it the right way and play to our identity, we're fine," said Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette. "It's a matter of doing that consistently for 60 minutes."

ADDITIONAL STATS

• Kamloops outshot Kelowna 48-26
• Kelowna went 0/2 on the power play while Kamloops went 2/5
• Jake Pilon was solid in net making 45 saves