Rockets Fire Past Chiefs For Second Straight Night

The Kelowna Rockets have struggled all season with Western Hockey League West opponents.

So how to explain the last two nights, when the Rocks have rolled and the Chiefs have merely rolled over?

Kelowna answered its 7-1 Friday night win over Spokane with a 4-1 triumph over the Chiefs Saturday night in the Arena.

It was Spokane’s third straight loss.

Is that a Rocket surge or a Chiefs slump?

Try a little of both. The Chiefs have misfired on 23 of their last 24 power-play opportunities. In their last four games they’ve scored four goals on only 70 shots, far fewer than their average of more than 38 a game.

At least in this one they led. And the centerpiece of one of their many trades Zenith Komarniski is playing with interest.

The Chiefs jumped up 1-0 on the power play, Komarniski scoring his first goal at home on a slap shot from the right circle.

It was Komarniski’s second goal in his last three games.

Kelowna erased that with two goals in a span of 1:13 of the second period.

Scott Hannan’s wrist shot found its way through goaltender Aren Miller’s pads with the Rockets on the power play 5:30 into the period. Kris Mallette put Kelowna on top 2-1.

Scott Parker got the insurance goal. Quintin Lain scored into an empty net with five seconds left.

Kelowna improved to 8-15-1 on the road and 8-18-1 against the West.

, DataTimes