The Rockets started slow and won; then, the Rockets started fast and won.
With the slow start on Friday, the Rockets were outshot 11-3 in the first period. Thankfully, Talyn Boyko kept the period scoreless and allowed the Rockets to regain their footing. Mark Liwiski scored his 15th in the second to open the scoring. Marcus Pacheco and Adam Kydd added goals as The Rockets beat the Prince George Cougars 3-2 on Friday.
The game was scoreless until Liwiski found the back of the net at 18:49 of the second period for Kelowna. Contrasting the first 40 minutes, the third period started with a fury of goals. Pacheco opened the scoring at 1:06. Koehn Zimmer scored for the Cougars to cut the lead in half at 2-1 2:19. Then, Kydd potted the eventual game-winner five minutes into the final frame. Riley Heidt got the Cougars within one at 11:01 of the period, but the Cougars couldn’t find the tying goal.
Boyko ended the night with 26 saves for the Rockets win, while at the other end of the ice Ty Young made 26 saves for the loss for the Cougars.
On Saturday, the Rockets received some reinforcements as Colton Dach returned from his two-game suspension and Jake Lee returned from appendicitis. The team benefited from their returns as they got off to a fast start, outshooting the Cougars 14-8 in the first. The Cougars didn’t get their first shot until the 9:30 mark. Turner McMillan scored in the first, and the Rockets took the 1-0 lead heading into the second.
Connor Bowie was able to tie it for the Cougars on the power play at the 8:32 mark. However, the tally went to review as Talyn Boyko knocked the net askew as the puck was heading in.
“Lambie (Mark Lamb), pulled me aside at the bench and said that was a goal for sure. “Bowie told 94.5 The Goat.
In the third, Jake Lee made an immediate impact. He scored on the powerplay at the 27-second mark. Gabriel Szturc notched his 10th for the eventual game-winner at the 12:49 mark. Hudson Thornton notched his 10th to get the Cougars within one. But, like Friday night, the Cougars could not tie it.
The two games were the Rockets’ 19th and 20th one-goal game of the year. They are 13-3-1-3 in those games. They also won their 21st game when they scored first.
Talyn Boyko made 26 saves for the win on Saturday. Tyler Brennan made 35 saves in the Cougars’ loss.
With the wins this weekend, the Rockets climb to 28-12-1-3. They remain in second place in the B.C. Division and fifth in the Western Conference.
On Monday, the Rockets will wear their black third jerseys against the Tri-City Americans at Prospera Place for Family Day Matinee.