A pair of goals four minutes apart and a stellar performance by goaltender Jari Kykkanen kept the Kelowna Rockets alive in their playoff series against the Prince George Cougars.
Kelowna beat the Cougars 2-1 at Prospera Place on Wednesday (Apr. 17) night and trail 3-1 in the WHL Western Conference Semi-Final.
After a scoreless first period, the Rockets got goals from Max Graham (4) at 15:14 of the second and Gabriel Szturc (6) with 48 seconds left in the middle frame.
Prince George made it close when Hudson Thornton (3) scored with 3:23 to play in regulation, but Kelowna came away with the win. Jari Kykkanen earned the first star honours after stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced.
Rockets Head Coach Kris Mallette said there were some opportunities the team missed but was happy overall with the effort.
“Playoff hockey doesn’t have to be pretty, it’s about the win at the end of the day.”
Graham added that the team focused on working hard.
“Stick to the game plan. I think the first 40 (minutes) we did a good job of that. Keep playing the same way and the success will continue.”
The Rockets face another must-win game on Friday (Apr. 19) in Prince George.
“We enjoy this, recognize what we have done, build on it, and go into a hostile environment and have to steal one,” said Mallette.
Fans can watch on CHL TV or listen to 104.7 The Lizard on the radio and online.
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