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After a tough overtime loss to the Chiefs on Friday, the Rockets were clearly a motivated bunch on Saturday.
Michael Herringer made 25 saves and three Rockets picked up multiple points in a huge 5-2 win over the B.C. Division leading Prince George Cougars.
Things didn’t look so hot early on as it was the Cougars opening the scoring at the midway mark of the first period on Colby McAuley’s 21st goal of the season.
#SousMoose gets the boys on the board with this nasty tic-tac-toe passing play #KELvsPG #CityofRockets #thatspassing 🚀 pic.twitter.com/aFtVOCg8yW
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 19, 2017
Kelowna managed to pull even before the end of the opening frame, however, as Tomas Soustal finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play on the powerplay.
Things really heated up in the second as the two teams showed their dislike for each other and it only got more intense when Devante Stephens buried a wrap around to give Kelowna the lead.
Looks like @Devo_Stephens is taking notes from @merkdaddy4, and he's also a fan of the #wrapzone 😅🚀 pic.twitter.com/eMJxYG4nRA
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 19, 2017
The trash talk seemed to increase with every passing whistle, led by Rodney Southam and Kole Lind from the Rockets side.
Then, five minutes after the lead, James Hilsendager gave the Rockets some insurance scoring on a long shot from the point.
#Seeingeyeshot from the steady D-man! #Hilsy 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Hs8IoFsjJy
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 19, 2017
Southam and Lind were both on the ice for the Hilsendager goal and had some choice words for Cougars’ goalie Nick McBride as the Rockets’ players celebrated.
Shortly after the Hilsendager goal, Tomas Soustal took an elbowing penalty and it looked like Prince George had a golden opportunity to get back in the game.
It was Nick Merkley, however, who would get the golden opportunity as the 19-year-old forced a turnover and found himself in alone on McBride.
We got @merkdaddy4, a breakaway, slick mitts, a shorty #Rockets 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Q1WkFT7JYg
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) February 19, 2017
Merkley made a deke to the forehand and managed to find the back of the net, despite McBridge getting a large piece of the puck.
That made the score 4-1 and that’s how the period would end, as everything seemed to be going Kelowna’s way through 40 minutes.
It didn’t take long for Prince George to make it a game again in the third period, though, and once again it was McAuley.
The Sherwood Park native beat Michael Herringer with a wrist shot from the slot just 41 seconds into the final period, cutting the lead to 4-2.
That’s the way it would stay for most of the third as the chippiness continued, but neither team could find the back of the net.
The Cougars pulled their goalie with just under two minutes to play and it didn’t take long for the Rockets to put the game on ice.
Calvin Thurkauf scored the empty netter with over a minute to go, making it 5-2 Kelowna and that’s how the game would end.
With the win, the Rockets move to 34-20-5-0 on the season, seven points back of the Cougars for first in the division and 14 points up on the Chiefs for the final playoff spot.
The Rockets continue their four-game homestand on Wednesday as the Edmonton Oil Kings come to town for the only time this year.
Video courtesy SendtoNews.
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