The Kelowna Rockets get ready to take on the WHL’s top team when they visit the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday night.
The Rockets are entering game three of their six game prairie road trip having split the first two games, collecting a 7-5 win in Regina before falling 7-4 in Brandon the following night.
Kelowna will be without Tampa Bay Lightning prospect and Rockets Captain Cal Foote, Calgary Flames prospect and Rockets Assistant Captain Dillon Dube, and Vancouver Canucks prospect Kole Lind on Tuesday as those three will be chasing their World Junior dreams attending Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp beginning Tuesday in St. Catharines, Ont., December 12th-15th. Assistant Coach Kris Mallette says his club knew this would be a test.
“We knew coming into this stretch of games that there would be no easy battles and this conference is very competitive. During our first two games and moving forward our game plan isn’t going to change,” Mallette said. “Now with Dube, Foote, and Lind gone to the World Junior Selection Camp we must really concentrate on the simplicity of our game and our compete for 60 minutes. So far we’ve played some very good stretches in our games but in turn have also had some mental lapses, so if we can limit those we feel confident in our room and the players we have in it.”
This is first and only meeting of the season between these two clubs. They met once last year in Kelowna and the Warriors took that one 3-2 in overtime on January 18th, 2017.
The Rockets enter Tuesday night with a record of 18-9-2-1 that gives them 39 points. That’s good enough for second place in the B.C. Division, four back of the division leading Victoria Royals, and five ahead of the third place Vancouver Giants.
The Warriors enter Tuesday night with a 25-5-1-1 record that places them in first in the East Division as well as the entire WHL with 52 points. The Swift Current Broncos trail the first place Warriors by 6 points in that division.
Puck drop on Tuesday night is 5:00pm.
Kelowna is back in action on Wednesday night when they visit the Swift Current Broncos. Puck drop for that one is also 5:00pm.
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