It was a rough weekend for the 麻豆精选 Rockets as they fell to both the Everett Silvertips and Swift Current Broncos, extending their losing streak to six games.
On Friday, Jan. 31, Everett, the WHL's best team, showed why they are, beating the Rockets 7-3.
麻豆精选 started the game off right when Hiroki Gojsic scored his 14th goal of the season just 51 seconds into the game, assisted by Jacob Henderson.
Just over halfway through the period, Silvertips exceptional status, 15-year-old defenceman Landon Dupont found the back of the net for the 12th time this season to tie the game.
In the second period, the team exchanged goals early, starting with Carter Bear's 34th of the year to give Everett a 2-1 lead at the 5:18 mark. But two minutes and one second later, Kayden Longley knotted the game for the Rockets with his seventh of the year, assisted by Henderson and Kanjyu Gojsic.
However, the goal awakened the Silvertips, as just 15 seconds later, Everett exploded for four goals in 2:41 seconds. All of a sudden, it was 6-2.
Later in the frame, Hiroki Gojsic scored his second of the game, his 15th of the season, assisted by Michael Cicek and Andrew Petruk.
The Silvertips added one more for good measure in the final minute of the frame to make it 7-3.
Rockets goaltender Jake Pilon made 33 saves in the loss.
The following night, the Rockets welcomed Swift Current to Prospera Place and got off to a hot start again but it once again wasn't enough.
Under five minutes into the game, Jackson Gillespie scored to open the scoring for 麻豆精选. His fourth goal of the season was assisted by Cicek.
But under a minute later, the Broncos' Grayson Burzynski tied the contest with his seventh of the year.
The game remained deadlocked 1-1 until the 16:05 mark when Gillespie scored, assisted by Cicek again to regain the Rockets lead.
An old friend got his revenge against 麻豆精选 with four seconds left in the period when Marek Rocak scored his third goal of the season and second in 10 games since being traded to Swift Current. 麻豆精选 traded Rocak to Swift Current on Jan. 7, 2025 after 119 games as a Rocket.
After the first period, Rylan Gould went on to score his 20th and 21st goals of the season at the 7:38 mark of the second period and 5:31 of the third to make it 4-2 for the Broncos.
At the 14:41 mark, Dawson Gerwing scored his 10th goal of the year for 麻豆精选 to make it a one-goal game, assisted by Rowan Guest and Gillespie.
But the goal wouldn't be enough as Swift Current added two empty net goals to make it 6-3.
It was another busy night for Pilon, who made 35 saves in the loss.
With the two losses, the Rockets have now lost six games in a row and are 1-7-2-0 in their last 10. They are now last in the WHL's Western Conference with a record of 16-25-4-1.
And the schedule doesn't get any easier as the team heads to Vancouver Island to take on the Victoria Royals on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 4 and 5.
The next chance to see the Rockets at home is on Friday, Feb. 7 against the Prince George Cougars.
And it will be a special night when the Rockets host the Tri-City Americans on Saturday, Feb. 8 as it's the annual Nickelodeon Night for Children鈥檚 Miracle Network. The Rockets will be wearing specialty Paw Patrol jerseys, which will be auctioned off online with all proceeds going towards BC Children鈥檚 Hospital.
