Rockets dropped their eighth in nine games at home Saturday – WHL
Photo: Steve Dunsmoor
sales. They’re great after dinner, but not so much at the end of a hockey game.
The Vancouver Giants scored three goals straight from Rocket Turnovers in a 4-3 win at Prospera Pace on Saturday night.
The game was tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, but a sloppy second allowed the Giants to take all the momentum and a 2-1 lead they weren’t about to give up.
“The second period was the difference tonight. Revenue is one thing, but in the second period we were nonexistent for 13 minutes,” said head coach Kris Mallette.
“We gave them momentum and never got it back. We had a push at the end, but it’s a 60-minute game. The decisions we made with the puck played right into their hands.”
The Rockets got off to a great start. While Turner McMillen was outnumbered, he stole the puck on his own blueline, swiped down the ice and deked Brett Mirwald on the backhand.
Matthew Edwards got that back a minute later when he intercepted a clearing pass in the slot and sent a quick shot off the post and behind Talyn Boyko.
Ty Halaburda gave the Giants a definitive lead on a second-period power play when a clearance attempt found his racquet in the low slot.
Connor Dale got another gift six minutes into the third game when he fended off an attempt to clear around the end boards. He took the puck to the front of the net and took a shot off a rocket skate and into it.
Adam Kydd scored twice in the third goal, the first with a nosedive on a loose puck on the edge of the crease and another when he tapped a rebound home after Carson Golder crashed the net off the right wing.
These were wedged around a power play goal by Ty Thorpe.
The Rockets had a chance to equalize with a 50-second two-man lead but were unable to create any good scoring chances.
Mallette said the Giants didn’t do anything special, they just made the Rockets go through them, which they couldn’t do.
“The effort we had tonight compared to last night and the execution we had last night… it’s just junior hockey.
“It drives a coach insane because we were so much better in every facet last night and just didn’t make it in front of our home crowd tonight.
The Rockets finished 0-4 man advantage while the Giants went 2-4.
The Rockets host Jake Poole and the Royals at 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon to cap off a three-game weekend.
Poole is one of two former Rockets to lead their respective teams in scoring. He goes into Sunday with 24 goals and 50 points.
Trevor Wong, dealt to Saskatoon in the Colton roof trade, leads the Blades with 55 points. Saskatoon will make their lonely trek to Kelowna on February 11th.
