Rockets end four game home stand on sour note

• The Brandon Wheat Kings snapped a nine game losing streak last night. Who were the victims? The Kelowna Rockets. Shayne Wiebe and Mark Stone each scored once and added an assist as the visitors won for the first time in ten games. The Rockets dropped to 4 and 8 with the loss, their 6th in eight games in front of the home town crowd.
• The two teams were tied at one after 40 minutes, but the Wheat Kings came out flying in the third. A huge shift from Wiebe, Stone and Paul Ciarelli resulted in the three buzzing the Rockets net and then scoring 49 seconds into the final frame.
• It looked like the Rockets had tied the game on a Cody Chikie goal. Linemate Geordie Wudrick had a hard shot go off of Wheat Kings goaltender Liam Liston before hitting Chikie in the upper body before sailing into the net. On video replay, it showed that Chikie moved his shoulder to re-direct the puck into the goal.
  
• Aside from the controversial non-goal, the Rockets stubbed their toe twice, with two power play chances late in the third period with the Wheat Kings holding a slim 2-1 lead. Both power plays generated little in the way of offense, with the visitors creating the best scoring chances when they were down a man.
• The Rockets ended up going 0 for 5 with the extra man while the Wheat Kings failed to score on two chances.
• The Rockets were so desperate to generate something positive in the offensive zone that they used defenceman Tyson Barrie as a forward for a portion of the third period.
  
• Why Wheat Kings forward Mark Stone was left off the three stars is beyond me. Gord and I no longer take part in the three star selection at home games, yet I feel we need to apologise for the lack of good judgement on behalf of those in the media area that ignored Stone. Nothing against Brandon goaltender Liam Liston, but he didn't have to have a solid game to lead his team to the road win. He was steady, but not spectacular.
  
• Goaltender Adam Brown was the best Rocket on the ice from our vantage point.
  
• Where was the physical play? The Wheat Kings seemed to ramp it up as the game wore on yet the Rockets, the more rested of the two, didn't follow.
  
• What's the good news? The Rockets go on the road. It may sound odd, but this team plays better away from Prospera Place. Sure, the Rockets have played just four games on the road but they look a lot more comfortable away from Kelowna than they do at home. That indeed has to change.