Rockets end regular season with win, playoffs up next

The Kelowna Rockets probably wish the Vancouver Giants were their first round playoff opponent.

A 5-2 win over the Giants at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday night gave the Rockets their seventh win in eight games against Vancouver on the season.

The win, combined with Prince George picking up a point on Saturday, sets up a first round playoff series between Kamloops and Kelowna for the second year in a row.

Saturday’s game got off to a rough start and it looked like the Giants could bump their slump against the Rockets.

Calvin Spencer opened the scoring for Vancouver before Kole Lind netted his 30th of the year to tie the game at one just 26 seconds later.

It didn’t take long for the Giants to regain the lead, however, as former Rocket Jordan Borstmayer put the home team ahead only 23 seconds after Lind’s tally.

After a frantic 49 seconds the game would settle down a bit, but the Rockets wouldn’t be done their scoring in the first.

Nolan Foote got his 19th of the season to tie the game at two before Leif Matsson gave Kelowna their first lead of the night at 3-2.

That’s how the opening frame would end and it’d stay that way for most of the second as well.

Devante Stephens would manage to double the Rockets lead before the end of the second, scoring with just 59 ticks left on the clock.

Kelowna would add one more goal in a penalty filled third period, courtesy of Reid Gardiner, to cement a 5-2 win.

The win gives Kelowna a final record of 45-22-5 for the 2016-2017 regular season, good enough for second in the B.C. Division and the aforementioned first round matchup with the Blazers.

With WHL games still to be played on Sunday, the playoff schedule has not yet been announced, but game one of the series between the Rockets and Blazers will be played in Kelowna.