The Kelowna Rockets suffered their fourth straight loss on Saturday night, and have just one win in their last 10 games.
It’s been a difficult start to the new year for the Rockets. Since 2023 began, the team has been outscored 24-9, and are barely holding onto the last playoff spot in the WHL Western Conference. Just one point separates the Victoria Royals from the Kelowna Rockets for 8th place in the west.
The Royals have proven to be a difficult opponent for the Rockets this season. Their most recent losses came at the hands of Victoria, suffering a 4-0 loss on Friday, and a 6-3 defeat on Saturday. The Royals now have five wins against the Rockets in the 2022/23 campaign, while the Rockets have two wins against the team that’s eyeing them up in the standings.
One positive takeaway for the visiting team on Saturday was their power-play. All three goals scored by the Rockets came on the man-advantage, as the power-play unit went 3/8 on the evening. This season, the Rockets have scored 37 power-play goals on 161 attempts.
Kelowna has also run into injury woes, after losing their leading scoring Andrew Cristall due to a lower body injury, and Carson Golder with an upper body injury. Cristall has racked up 62 points in 36 games, while Golder has totalled 27 points in 39 games.
Overall, Kelowna holds a record of 13-23-3, and they’ll look to get back into the column when they begin a stretch of three games in three nights on Friday, January 20 against the 7th placed Vancouver Giants.
The Rockets’ next home game is on Saturday, January 21 when they host the Giants, followed by the Royals the following night.