Kelowna streak may be best
The Kelowna Rockets, 10-0 to open the Western Hockey League season, are off to the best start in franchise history. Whether it's the best start in league history is hard to determine, because the league's official record book doesn't include that category. Read story
Kelowna radio announcer Regan Bartel was leaving the Arena press box on Friday night when he said that he, too, has been unable to discover if any WHL team has had a better start than the Rockets.
Whatever is the case, Kelowna's players are taking it all in stride.
"Sure, it’s nice to break records, but I think our focus every night is just to outcompete the other team and keep going," Rockets 19-year-old defenseman Madison Bowey said. "That’s our mentality right now."
The Rockets entered the game with more power-play goals (19) than the Chiefs had overall (18). Although Spokane slowed down Kelowna's league-leading power-play game, killing 5 of 6 opportunities, the Chiefs couldn't convert on any of their five chances.
"It cost us a (Kelowna) goal and it might be the difference," Chiefs coach Don Nachbaur said. "Our power play didn’t do anything. ... We knew we had to compete in that area and we knew we couldn’t take undisciplined penalties."
Bowey's goal, off a sharp pass from center Cole Linaker, put the Chiefs on their heels because it created a 3-1 advantage less than one minute after the Rockets took a 2-1 lead with their power-play goal.
"(Linaker) and I have kind of done that play a few times where he hits me coming down," Bowey said. "I decided to go and the goalie left a little bit early for me and I just put it in there. I was kind of looking to pass at first, but I saw an open net and luckily put it in."
