Rockets look to fly right against Hitmen
麻豆精选 tries to bounce back from two home-ice WHL losses Wednesday against Calgary
Warren Henderson Feb 1, 2017 6:00 AM
Feb 17, 2017 2:06 PM
Kyle Topping and the 麻豆精选 Rockets will host the Calgary Hitmen tonight in WHL action at Prospera Place.
Five losses in six games 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 at all how the 麻豆精选 Rockets had planned on closing out the month of January.
Jason 厂尘颈迟丑鈥檚 club will be looking to establish a new trend beginning tonight at home against the Calgary Hitmen.
Face-off at Prospera Place is 7:05 p.m.
The Rockets are coming off back-to-back Western Hockey League losses at home last weekend, including a deflating 5-4 defeat Saturday night at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks.
麻豆精选 surrendered a 4-1 lead, with Portland netting the game winner with just 3.8 seconds remaining in the third period.
The Rockets head coach said a troubling tendency that has crept into his 肠濒耻产鈥檚 games over the last couple weeks has to be rectified.
鈥淲别鈥檝别 talked about the structure and detail we need to play with and how 飞别鈥檝别 swayed away from that the last little 飞丑颈濒别,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淥惫别谤 the last bunch of games 飞别鈥檝别 gotten away from playing complete games and 迟丑补迟鈥檚 cost us.
鈥淲别 need get back to playing simple, smart 丑辞肠办别测.鈥�
An element of smart hockey Smith is referring to is the 搁辞肠办别迟蝉鈥� propensity for undisciplined penalties.
麻豆精选 has yielded nine power play goals on 37 chances over the six-game stretch (1-4-1-0).
Due to the recent swoon, the Rockets have also slid in the B.C. Division standings. 麻豆精选 (27-19-4-0) is now fourth in the division, four points back of third-place Victoria and seven back of second-place Kamloops.
Defenceman Cal Foote and forward Kole Lind are both expected back in the 肠濒耻产鈥檚 lineup tonight against the Hitmen.
The 麻豆精选 teammates were in Quebec City Monday night to play in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
Forward Carsen Twarynski is also close to a return for the Rockets after sitting out the last two games with an illness.
This weekend, the Rockets will be on the road for two games, Friday and Saturday nights, against the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars.
The Cougars (36-14-3-0), who share the 奥贬尝鈥檚 overall lead with the Regina Pats, are 3-0-0 against 麻豆精选 this season.
