Rockets Take Game Three 7-6 At CN Centre

By 250 News

For the second straight game, the Prince George Cougars led through two periods over the Kelowna Rockets.  But for the second straight game, the Rockets found a way to pull out a victory, this time by a 7-6 count, and take a 3-0 series lead in the Best of 7 Kal Tire Western Conference Quarter Final series.

The Rockets got on the board early Tuesday at CN Centre, when Colton Heffley took advantage of a turn-over and beat Ty Rimmer to open the scoring at 2:16.  The Cougars came back when Brock Hirsche won a face-off and Spencer Asuchak went to the net and tucked the puck under Adam Brown to tie the game at 8:27.  Kelowna got the lead back on a Zach Franko goal at 10:46, but Charles Inglis responded at 13:58, going high on Brown in front of the Rockets net.  Nick Buonassisi and Troy Bourke picked up the assists.  But the Rockets went up 3-2 at 17:45 on a goal by Spencer Main, which finished the scoring in the first.  The Cougars out-shot the Rockets 14-10.

In the second period, the Cougars were given a 5-on-3 power play and took advantage when Taylor Stefishen got a hold of the puck at the side of the goal and went upstairs on Brown for his first of the post season.  Sena Acolatse and Martin Marincin drew assists.  Acolatse then scored at 13:43 on a three-on-one rush, banking a pass of a Rockets defender past Brown for a 4-3 Cougars lead on his second of the playoffs.  Hirsche and Asuchak, who joined Acolatse on the 3-on-1, picked up the helpers.  Then on another Cougars power play, Stefishen stuffed home his second of the period for a 5-3 Cougars lead at 16:59, with Acolatse and Marincin getting another assist each on the goal.  But again, the Rockets cut the lead to one near the end of the period when Mitchell Callahan took a break-away pass from Tyson Barrie and beat Rimmer, who had fallen in the crease, to make it 5-4 Cougars at 18:45.  The Cougars out-shot the Rockets 15-10.

It took 13 seconds for the Rockets to tie the game in the third when Brett Bulmer scored the fourth unassisted Rockets goal of the game.  Then Shane McColgan scored by banging home a loose puck in the crease for a 6-5 Rockets lead at 12:07.  Mitchell Callahan got credit for a Rockets power play goal at 14:16 to put Kelowna up 7-5.  Martin Marincin kept the Cougars hopes alive with a bullet shot for a goal at 19:22 to cut the deficit to one and the Cougars almost tied it in the final 10 on a mad scramble in front of the goal, but the puck stayed out and the Rockets took the victory and the 3-0 series lead.  The Cougars out-shot the Rockets 12-9 in the third and 41-29 in the game.  The Cougars were 2-for-4 on the power play while the Rockets went 1-for-5.

Game 4 goes Wednesday night at CN Centre, starting at 7:00pm.  Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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