It was a winning start for Kelowna Rockets head coach Adam Foote.
Just hours after being announced as Kelowna’s new bench boss on Tuesday morning, the Rockets eked out a 3-2 home-ice win that night over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. The win was also Kelowna’s first at the friendly confines of Prospera Place in seven games this season.
Lane Zablocki, Kyle Topping and Jack Cowell, with what stood up as the game winner midway through the second period, scored for Kelowna (5-10-0-0). Alec Sawatsky and Joona Kiviniemi replied for Swift Current (1-12-0-0), which has the league’s worst record with just two points in 13 games.
James Porter stopped 23 of 25 shots for Kelowna, while Joel Hofer stopped 30 of 33 shots for Swift Current. Notably, the Rockets outshot the Broncos 21-5 in the first period and 33-25 overall. The Broncos were 1-for-5 on the power play while the Rockets were 0-for-2.
Kelowna opened the scoring early in the game, Zablocki at 4:31 of the first period, though Zawatsky levelled it just six minutes later. In the second period, the two clubs combined for three goals in a three minute span. Topping made it 2-1 for Kelowna at 7:27, with Swift Current again tying the game, Kiviniemi just seconds later at 7:53. Cowell, however, pushed Kelowna ahead for good with his second goal of the season at 10:12.
Foote’s hiring came one day after the club announced it was cutting ties with head coach Jason Smith on Monday morning.
Up next for Kelowna is a Saturday night game against the visiting Prince George Cougars (5-6-0-1). Game time at Prospera Place is 7:05 p.m.
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