It was a dominant performance by the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday (Apr. 2) night at Prospera Place as a 5-1 win gave them a 2-1 series lead against the Wenatchee Wild.
Wenatchee struck first when Briley Wood scored his fifth goal of the series 5:55 into the contest but after that, it was all Rockets.
Late in the frame, Kelowna’s Tij Iginla and Marek Rocak scored 1:15 apart to take a 2-1 lead.
It was like watching a ball on the lip of the hole to win The Masters. Tij Iginla ties the game with his fourth of the post season.#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/GkjL3jlb16
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) April 3, 2024
Iginla got a partial breakaway and was able to sneak it past Wild goaltender Daniel Hauser for this fourth goal of the playoffs, assisted by Hiroki Gojsic and Michael Cicek.
While Rocak’s marker, the eventual game-winning goal, was helped out by Gabriel Szturc and Max Graham.
Marek Rocak cooks up his best siuuu celly! #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/8he4ynj7AJ
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) April 3, 2024
It wasn’t until late in the second period when the Rockets added an insurance goal when defenceman and Seattle Kraken prospect Caden Price scored his first goal of the postseason. Dylan Wightman and Luke Schelter collected the apples on the goal.
Breadstick King, Caden Price, rips home his first of the postseason.#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture | #seakraken pic.twitter.com/B44Ag0BaW0
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) April 3, 2024
In the third period, the Rockets would add two more goals, starting with Iginla’s second of the game as he was waiting at the backdoor for a pass from Cicek.
*knock* *knock*
— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) April 3, 2024
who's there?
Tij Iginla at the backdoor! #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/oEFgC7EV5r
Schelter added his second of the postseason later on to make it 5-1. Ty Hurley and Wightman assisted in the goal.
Jari Kykkanen was great in net, making 31 saves in the win.
“I think we played amazing tonight,” said Kykkanen in his postgame interview. “Guys were sacrificing all around, blocking shots and our penalty kill was dialed. We gave up the powerplay goal, but everything else we were killing off. It was a lot of fun to play behind those guys tonight.”
With the win, the Rockets are up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series and will look to go up 3-1 as the puck drops on game four Wednesday night (Apr. 3) at Prospera Place. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
READ MORE: Kelowna Rockets forward up for WHL humanitarian of the year award
READ MORE: Norlin named top defenceman, MVP as West Kelowna Warriors hand out team awards