The Portland Winterhawks含羞草研究社� offense can run-and-gun with the best in the Western Hockey League.
The are also well-known for their proclivity to light up opposing team含羞草研究社檚 netminders.
On Friday night, the top two scoring teams in the Western Conference will go head to head to open up the second round of the WHL post season.
Led by the likes of Cody Glass, Skyler McKenzie and Keegan Iverson, (278) were second only to Kelowna (283) for goals scored during the regular season.
While the Rockets are well-equipped to trade offensive blows with pretty much any opponent, captain Rodney Southam said his club has no intention of allowing the series to become a track meet.
含羞草研究社淚t won含羞草研究社檛 be easy, they含羞草研究社檙e fast, high powered offensively and they like to run-and-gun,含羞草研究社� Southam said of the Winterhawks. 含羞草研究社淲e need to stay away from that and play our game, make sure we含羞草研究社檙e responsible two ways.
含羞草研究社淲e like our depth and we feel our top lines match pretty well against theirs. We feel like when we含羞草研究社檙e on our game and playing our systems, we can play with any team in the league.含羞草研究社�
The Winterhawks, who upset the Prince George Cougars in six games in the opening round, come in as the underdogs and fully expect to have their plate full with the surging Rockets.
Kelowna won nine of its last 10 regular season games, then took out the Kamloops Blazers in six games in the first round of the postseason.
含羞草研究社楬awks head coach and GM Mike Johnston said while the Rockets含羞草研究社� flaws are few, his team will needs to find those weaknesses and do its utmost to expose them.
含羞草研究社淲e recognize that they have high-end players, they have good speed, they含羞草研究社檙e well-balanced and are very good defensively,含羞草研究社� said Johnston, who returned to the Winterhawks含羞草研究社� helm this season after two years in the NHL.
含羞草研究社淭heir top three or four players are as dangerous as any in the league, they don含羞草研究社檛 have many holes, so our job is to find those holes and take advantage of those the best we can.含羞草研究社�
The clubs met four times during the regular season含羞草研究社攖he last coming back on Jan. 28 in Kelowna含羞草研究社攚ith the Rockets winning three of those.
Both teams have made considerable strides since that last encounter, so Johnston isn含羞草研究社檛 putting too much stock into regular season outcomes.
含羞草研究社淭he key thing for us in this series is to establish our game right way,含羞草研究社� said Johnston. 含羞草研究社淲e played them pretty well the last two games there (in January) and won one of them, so that含羞草研究社檚 positive for us.
含羞草研究社淎t the same time, both teams were missing players, both teams have made progress since then, so I don含羞草研究社檛 think the season series shows us much.含羞草研究社�
Had the Winterhawks not upset Prince George in first round, the Rockets would have been on the road to start the best-of-seven conference semifinal.
Forward Dillon Dube said kicking off round two at Prospera Place presents a big opportunity to the Rockets.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 huge for us, nice to start the series at home and get a chance to put them on their heels,含羞草研究社� said Dube. 含羞草研究社淲e know it含羞草研究社檚 a tough place to play down there (in Portland), so it含羞草研究社檚 important for us to get off to a good start and get the jump on them.含羞草研究社�
The Rockets and Winterhawks are meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. The last time the clubs met, in 2015, the Rockets won in six games on the way to capturing the WHL title.
have a renewed playoff battle with the Portland Winterhawks for round 2! Read about it here: 馃殌馃悏
含羞草研究社� Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets)
WHL Western Conference semifinal
Kelowna Rockets vs Portland Winterhawks
Friday, April 7 含羞草研究社擯ortland @ Kelowna 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, April 8含羞草研究社擯ortland @ Kelowna 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday, April 11含羞草研究社擪elowna @ Portland 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 12含羞草研究社擪elowna @ Portland 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 14含羞草研究社擯ortland @ Kelowna 7:05 p.m. *
Sunday, April 16含羞草研究社擪elowna @ Portland 7:00 p.m. *
Tuesday, April 18含羞草研究社擯ortland @ Kelowna 7:05 p.m. *
* If necessary
