Rockets posted Apr 23, 2016 @ 09:54pm by Sam Hill

Rockets suffer heartbreaking loss to T-Birds despite stellar play

The Kelowna Rockets played some of their best postseason hockey on Saturday night, but fell 3-2 to the Seattle Thunderbirds in a heartbreaking loss. The series now moves to Seattle with the T-Birds leading 2-0.

It was looking a bit like deja vu early in the game as Mathew Barzal (PP) and Scott Eansor scored back to back goals, just 33 seconds apart.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>The Rockets will need to depend on veteran players like Cole Linaker to bring the team out of the series deficit in Seattle.

Later that period the Rockets responded as Cole Linaker picked up a rebound off of a Tanner Wishnowski wraparound attempt and sent the puck into the T-Birds net.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>Tanner Wishnowski created the opportunity for the Rockets' first goal, and played a strong game all-around.

After the Rockets held the puck in the offensive zone for a significant chunk of the second period, Rourke Chartier showed great patience as he waited for the opportune moment to lift the puck over Seattle's Landon Bow to tie the game 2-2.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>Rourke Chartier had a fantastic game, netting a beautiful goal, creating scoring chances, and dishing out solid hits as well.

Saturday night's game was one of the Rockets' best defensive games this season. They were hard on the puck, sturdy on their skates, and gave Seattle little to no room to create scoring opportunities. And on those few chances that the T-Birds did get, Michael Herringer was there to make some big saves.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>The Rockets' defencemen, including Lucas Johansen (left) and Joe Gatenby, found their stride in Saturday's game, and limited Seattle's scoring chances.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, a misplay in front of the net saw the puck go off of Scott Eansor's skate, trickle behind Herringer along the goal line and in, with three minutes left to play.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>Not only did the Rockets' d-core protect their own zone, Cal Foote and the rest of the defensive lineup put the puck on the T-Birds net a number of times throughout the game.

The Rockets were the better team in game two of the best of seven series, controlling the play for most of the second and third periods, which made this loss a real heartbreaker. The Rockets outshot the T-Birds 30-27.

<who>Photo Credit: KelownaNow</who>Landon Bow was strong in net for the Thunderbirds, stopping 28 Rockets' shots on the night.

The series now moves to Seattle for games three and four on Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27. Should a game five be necessary, it will come back to Prospera Place on Friday, April 29.

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