Kykkanen makes 34 saves to guide Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Rockets to 3-1 series lead

The Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Rockets took care of business and are heading back to Wenatchee with a 3-1 series lead.

On Wednesday night at Prospera Place, Jari Kykkanen stood on his head and the Rockets got timely goals on their way to a 3-1 win over the Wenatchee Wild, to give them the 3-1 series lead in game four of the best-of-seven series.

Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ got the scoring started at the 9:08 mark of the first period when Max Graham scored a powerplay goal, assisted by Andrew Cristall and Gabriel Szturc to make it 1-0.

Max Graham strikes gold on the puck luck to give the Rockets the lead. #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/7eHvlFz87o

— Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Rockets (@Â鶹¾«Ñ¡_Rockets) April 4, 2024

Later in the frame, Tij Iginla scored his sixth goal in four games to double the lead. Hiroki Gojsic collected the assist on the eventual game-winning goal.

All aboard the iggy wiggy woo woo express 🚂

Hiroki Gojsic connects with the freight train of Tij Iginla. #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/gd9rORfZoU

— Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Rockets (@Â鶹¾«Ñ¡_Rockets) April 4, 2024

In the second period, the Wild peppered Kykkanen with 17 shots, but only one got past him when Kenta Isogai scored early in the frame, making it 2-1.

Kykkanen shut the door the rest of the way, making another 10 saves in the third period. He was named the game’s first star for making 34 saves in the win.

The Rockets added an insurance goal in the third when Szturc found the back of the net for the second time this postseason. Cristall and Marek Rocak added the helpers.

Gabriel Szturc hits the @BellinghamJude stand tall celly. #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture | #gobolts pic.twitter.com/FgzgO51UU2

— Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ Rockets (@Â鶹¾«Ñ¡_Rockets) April 4, 2024

The series shifts back to Wenatchee for game five on Friday night (April 5), where the Rockets can advance to the second round with a win. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center.

If the Rockets lose and the Wild force a game six, it will take place at Prospera Place on Sunday, April 7 at 2:05 p.m.

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