Banana Peels?

"Ams fall on road to Kelowna"

If you didn't know any better, you'd think they'd all slipped on banana peels on Highway 97 in British Columbia.  Instead they slipped to a 3-2 record here early in the season.

The penalty kill was better, so that's something.  The comeback was alright--though I would have preferred not having to come back.  From the middle of the 2nd onwards it was mostly the Americans, they ended up with 22-12 shots on goal the last 2 periods of play.  Adam Brown was a monster last night (and didn't even get a star of the game, WTH?)

The defense scored the goals (Yuen and Plutnar) but had trouble getting the Rockets--and their shots--away from the net, especially in the first half of the game.

From my favorite WHL announcer Regan Bartel:

• The Rockets really struggled on the power play. In fact, the best scoring chances for the Americans came while playing shorthanded. The Rockets d-men often bobbled pucks which created no less than two breakaway chances for the visitors. In the end the Rockets were 0 for 4 on the power play and the unit didn't look anything like we witnessed last Saturday when it went 3 for 6 in a 6-3 win over Vancouver.


• I always knew that Americans defenceman Zach Yuen was a good player, but not that good. Outside of Brown, Yuen was the best player on the ice. While scoring twice with two picture perfect shots over the glove of Brown, Yuen could have had the hat-trick had it not been for a solid stop by Brown on a Yuen back hand in the second period.


• Brendan Shinnimin and Adam Hughesman didn't disappoint. The two-20 year old forwards were used without hesitation by Americans head coach Jim Hiller. Like the Rockets used Tyson Barrie in every situation last season, Hiller went to those two players time and time again to get back in the game. It would have been interesting to find out how much ice time those two players logged.  (Regan's Rant)