All three Kelowna Rocket games this weekend needed extra time and the team was able to pull out the victory in all three, including clinching a spot in the Western Hockey League playoffs.
The Rockets snapped their three-game losing streak with a 4-3 comeback shootout victory over the Vancouver Giants on Friday night at Prospera Place.
The Rockets fell behind 2-0 in the first period, trailing 3-1 after two periods of play the Rockets were able to stage a comeback in the third period to force the game into extra time. Kelowna headed to their second shootout of the season where Gabriel Szturc scored the lone goal of the skills competition, while goaltender Jari Kykkanen turned aside the three shots he faced.
"The chances that we were able to generate throughout the whole game and not be rewarded for it were a little frustrating, to say the least," said Rockets head coach Kris Mallette in his postgame interview. "Two of their goals went in off of bad bounces on our group. But credit to the guys in our room, they stayed positive and were energetic on the bench, and then to score late was awesome."
Kelowna secured their spot in the 2023 WHL Playoffs with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, WA.
The Rockets only needed a single point to clinch the final spot in the western conference.
Up 4-0 in the second period, Spokane mounted a comeback that saw them make it a one-goal game heading into the third period. With 2:02 to go in regulation, the Chiefs tied the game, they then pulled their goaltender for the remained of the third period - to keep their playoff hopes alive they needed to win the game in regulation.
As the horn sounded, Cade Hayes and a cluster of Rockets came together. Hayes was assessed a five-minute major that gave the Rockets a power play for the entirety of overtime. Captain Gabriel Szturc found the back of the net for the second time in the game 2:24 into extra time.
Yesterday, the Rockets picked up their third straight win of the weekend in extra time with a 5-4 shootout win over the Tri-City Americans on Sunday at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, WA.
Down by one after the first, the Rockets charged back with three straight goals to take lead in the second period. The Americans pushed back to tie the game, before the two traded goals in the third.
Tied at four, the Rockets game headed into overtime for the third straight game. Tri-City appeared to have won the game, but it was waved off. The two then went to a five-round shootout where Marcus Pacheco scored the lone goal of the skills competition.
Kelowna will head north to Prince George for a Wednesday night matchup before wrapping up their road trip with a Friday night game in Kamloops.
Kelowna's next home game will be their RE/MAX: Nickelodeon Night for the Children’s Miracle Network on Saturday, March 18th when they take on the Kamloops Blazers at 7:05 p.m. PT.
The Rockets will be wearing a special edition SpongeBob SquarePants themed jersey to celebrate the night that will be up for auction during the game. Proceeds from the silent auction will go to the BC Children’s Hospital.