Severson survives tough draft testing, questioning

By Larry Fisher

The Daily Courier

Damon Severson didn’t need to reach for the puke pail. Nor did he have to take off his shoes during interviews.

The Kelowna Rockets defenceman and prospect for the NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh later this month dodged those bullets and chalked his combine experience up as a success upon returning home to Melville, Sask., on Saturday. 

Severson and Colton Sissons, captain of the Rockets, were among 150 top draft-eligible prospects in Toronto from Tuesday to Friday for the annual ritual that includes team interviews and rigorous fitness testing.

“It was a great experience, just lots of fun,” said Severson, the 48th-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings released in April. “It was nice meeting a few new guys and just hanging out with a couple of old friends.”

This year, the Q&A sessions came first and, as is often the case, had some funny and even strange exchanges. Twitter reported several oddities, including No. 3-ranked North American skater Mikhail Grigorenko being asked to remove his shoes so the Anaheim Ducks could examine his feet.

The Russian forward, who plays for the Quebec Remparts, obliged, though he was never told why. Even odder, Finnish defenceman Esa Lindell, the No. 12-ranked European skater, was asked ‘do you have a boyfriend?’ by an unnamed team.

Severson got a kick out of those stories, but couldn’t share any of his own — at least not to that extreme.

“Actually, nothing crazy to be honest,” he said, noting he was interviewed by 22 of the 30 NHL clubs. “I thought I had good interviews all the way through and not too many whacky questions, just pretty similar. They made it pretty easy on me, which I was fortunate to have. I’m sure they just try to bug the Europeans a little bit, and some of them struggle with their English.”

Perhaps something was lost in translation on the Lindell front. For Severson’s part, a lot of the questions surrounded his draft stock’s constant climb since being a ninth-round pick in the 2009 WHL bantam draft; his steady improvements through two seasons with the Rockets; and his strong showing in the 2012 CHL Top Prospects Game on Feb. 1 at Prospera Place in Kelowna.

So how high could Severson be picked in the June 22-23 NHL draft being staged at the Consol Energy Center?

“That’s one of the questions I was asked a few times when I was there (at the combine),” he said. “They just want to know your opinion and where you think you’re going to go. But you really don’t know where you’re going to go, unless you are a top-five pick. I could go pretty much anywhere from 20 up to 50, I think. That would be a range to put it in, from what (agents and scouts) have told me so far. I’d be happy going anywhere in there, that’d be a great accomplishment.”

That’s a range of 30 spots, which means Severson could essentially go to any team. Sissons is in the same boat, as the top-rated WHL forward and 14th-ranked North American skater on Central Scouting’s final list, with projections ranging from 15th to 45th overall on draft day.

Severson said it was difficult to gauge interest at the combine, but his goal was to leave a lasting impression on every team.

“It’s so hard to tell because there’s so many (prospects),” he said, “but there were a few teams that asked ‘where do you think you’re going?’ and then said where they are picking and that I could have a shot with them, that I am on their radar. But they don’t really give anything up there, they wait until the draft.

“They were pretty similar interviews and it gets kind of repetitive after a while, but there’s a lot of teams there and they are doing their same process with 100-plus guys. You’re just trying to impress with every room you’re going into, and just making sure they know who you are.”

The first room Severson entered was that of the Calgary Flames. Admittedly nervous, he said the Flames’ brass, which included former player Craig Conroy, lightened the mood and kickstarted an enjoyable couple of days.

“I was actually very lucky; they were a pretty laidback group,” Severson said. “Once that first one’s out of the way, you kind of get the feel for things and know what it’s like. After that, the confidence grows and you just get more comfortable with it. You just have to make teams laugh a little bit and let them get to know you. You need to have a little sense of humour because they are there for a week and interviewing all these guys, and although it’s serious stuff, it’s good to have some laughs and break the ice a little bit.”

There was less laughter and horseplay when it came to the combine’s second element: physical testing. From bench press and push-ups to vertical leap and long jump, the prospects were put through a series of exercises. None more gruelling than the Wingate and VO2 Max tests, which resulted in vomiting for several of the teenagers — all of whom would be deemed in-shape by society’s standards. 

That list included Everett Silvertips defenceman Ryan Murray, No. 2 in North America, but not Severson.

“A lot of guys were, but I was lucky I didn’t have to grab the bucket,” Severson chuckled. “I was pretty light-headed after the Wingate, and so was every single guy 

after those ones. Other than that, it’s pretty similar to what you do in the gym . . . and I felt like I did pretty good overall in everything.”

While results have not yet been released and Severson wasn’t certain of his official numbers, some were surfacing in media reports on Twitter.

Chandler Stephenson of the WHL’s Regina Pats was said to be tops in push-ups with 52, while Mike Winther of the Prince Albert Raiders led the way on bench press with 17 reps of 150 pounds. TSN reported the three-year average for those two tests as 26 push-ups and nine bench-press reps.

“That’s the last part, the last chance to show the scouts really what you can do and how hard you’ve worked since you’ve been home for the off-season,” Severson said. “You can’t be nervous, can’t be scared going in there. There’s a lot of scouts, a lot of cameras right in your face, but you just have to work out like usual and be intense, and make sure you are giving it your all and showing the scouts you aren’t willing to give up.”

Bittersweet day for McColgan

Shane McColgan will get a second chance at winning a Memorial Cup next May. It just won’t be with the Kelowna Rockets.

Shane McColgan

On Thursday, the Rockets traded McColgan and fellow forward Jessey Astles to the Saskatoon Blades in a swap that landed Kelowna an 18-year-old forward in Ryan Olsen and a pair of 2012 bantam draft picks that the team used on Thursday. Next year, Saskatoon will play host to the Memorial Cup, May 17-26.

McColgan, who led Kelowna in scoring the past two seasons, joined the Rockets in 2008-09, appearing in four regular-season games and four playoff games in what was his 15-year-old season. That season, Kelowna came close to winning the Memorial Cup, but fell in the final, losing 4-1 to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. Now 19, McColgan says being traded was expected, and the idea of joining a Memorial Cup contender is exciting.

“To be honest, the trade wasn’t surprising,” said McColgan, who tallied 18 goals and 64 points in 70 games last season. The season prior, the 5-foot-9 right-winger from Manhattan Beach, Calif., had 21 goals and 66 points in 67 games.

“It was either between Saskatoon or Portland, and it was Saskatoon and I’m happy it was because they have the Memorial Cup,” continued McColgan. “This, hopefully, being my last season of junior hockey, I want to win a Memorial Cup, and going to Saskatoon will be my best chance. I’m looking forward to going there in August.”

After a disappointing 2011-12 in which Kelowna placed sixth in Western Conference standings and was quickly booted from the playoffs by Portland with a first-round, four-game sweep, the Rockets promised there’d be change. On Thursday, they began delivering on that statement.

“In losing Shane, we’re losing our leading scorer,” Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said in a press release. “I think a fresh start will be good for him. With Jessey, we have a number of guys that play like him and that allowed us to move him. We wish both players all the best.”

Both McColgan and Astles played three seasons in the Okanagan. Astles, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound right-winger from Coquitlam, had two goals and seven points in 42 games last season.

In Olsen, the Rockets acquired a B.C. product, as the 6-foot-2 centre hails from Tsawwassen. In 135 games during two seasons, Olsen has 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points, plus 105 penalty minutes. Last season, the sophomore tallied 15 goals and 32 points in 67 games, along with 64 PIMs.

“We were looking for a big forward and Ryan has good size,” said Hamilton. “We wanted to add size and this trade also addresses our needs at this draft. We now have a second-round pick and we think Ryan is going to be a great addition.”

Contacted while eating a meal at his dad’s restaurant in California, with plans to hit the beach later in the day, McColgan used one word in describing Kelowna’s past injury-filled season: Frustrating.

“It was frustrating,” said McColgan, who was selected in the fifth round, 134th overall, of the 2011 NHL draft by the New York Rangers. “When I got to Kelowna after going to New York, I was really excited. The team had to battle through some injuries, and things like that, and it got to be frustrating. I think everyone in the locker-room will attest to that, including the coaching staff. It was a year to forget.” 

Looking ahead, McColgan should be a great addition for Saskatoon, which was surprisingly swept by Medicine Hat in the first round. Normally, teams that host the Memorial Cup the following year make some noise in the playoffs. That the Blades didn’t this spring meant something had to change.

“I see a core group of guys who want to win, who take the game seriously and have a chance to do some special things,” said McColgan. “I looked at the roster, and it looks like they’ll only lose a few guys from this past season. I see a good playoff-contending team. Obviously, we’re hosting the Memorial Cup, but I think we’ll be able to do something special during the regular season as well.”

Asked what he thinks it’ll be like slipping on a different jersey for the first time in his WHL career, McColgan said “I think it’ll definitely be weird. The emotions were kinda flying high this morning when I got the call from Kelowna about the trade. It’ll definitely be a weird change, but I’m looking forward to it. Getting traded, I think it helps prepare you for life by getting used to see what life throws at you. This is certainly bittersweet. I love Kelowna and it’s my second home, but I’m going to go to Saskatoon and do my best.”

Looking back, McColgan clearly remembers Kelowna’s trip to Rimouski, Que., site of the 2009 Memorial Cup. Kelowna’s team, arguably one of the WHL’s best teams the past decade, included several future NHLers in Tyler Myers, Jamie Benn, Tyson Barrie, Cody Almond, Brandon McMillan and Mikael Backlund. McColgan was a healthy scratch for all four of Kelowna’s games.

“It was great to be around guys like Benn and Myers,” said McColgan. “And I actually talked to Benn today; he congratulated me and said best of luck. But being there and learning, I have that much more playoff experience and I’m really looking forward to playing in it again.”

Rockets trade McColgan, Astles to Blades

Kelowna Rockets' press release on today's trade of Shane McColgan and Jessey Astles to the Saskatoon Blades.

For Immediate Release - May 3, 2012

The Kelowna Rockets have added a B.C.-born player and two 2012 draft picks in a trade announced during the 2012 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft in Calgary.

The Rockets have acquired 18-year-old forward Ryan Olsen along with a 2nd and a 5th round draft picks from the Saskatoon Blades. In exchange the Rockets have sent forwards Shane McColgan and Jessey Astles to Saskatoon.

A native of Tsawassenn, Olsen is a 6-foot-2 centre who had 15 goals and 32 points last season with the Blades, his second full season in the WHL.

"We were looking for a big forward and Ryan has good size," said Rockets general manager and president Bruce Hamilton. "We wanted to add size and this trade also addresses our needs at this draft. We now have a second round pick and we think Ryan is going to be a great addition."

Hamilton thanked both McColgan and Astles for their commitment to the Rockets organization. Both players spent three seasons in Kelowna.

"In losing Shane, we're losing our leading scorer," said Hamilton. "I think a fresh start will be good for him. With Jessey, we have a number of guys that play like him and that allowed us to move him. We wish both players all the best."

The Rockets now have two additional draft picks in the 2012 bantam draft in Calgary. With their first pick, Kelowna selected Calgary native Nick Merkley, a forward who captained the Calgary Bisons AAA bantam team. Merkley had 118 points in 56 games with the Bisons last season.

Blazers force Game 7

While Sven Baertschi of the Portland Winterhawks skates to his bench, fans go wild at the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, B.C., following what proved to be Bronson Maschmeyer's game-winning goal at 19:39 of the third period during WHL playoff action on Monday night. Kamloops rallied from a 5-2 deficit to defeat Portland 7-6 in a highly entertaining game.

Jordan DePape, centre, celebrates one of Kamloops' five third-period goals, as does teammate Brandon Herrod, right.

Loud.

That's the first thing I think of when trying to simply describe Game 6 of the WHL's Western Conference semifinals between the favoured Portland Winterhawks and the Kamloops Blazers.

In what should have been a gimme for Portland on Monday night, the Winterhawks instead coughed up a late lead, giving up five goals in the third period, and wound up losing 7-6 to the host Blazers at Interior Savings Centre. Yes, you read right: Five goals. In the final period.

Up 5-2 and you lose. How many times does that happen to a team? In the playoffs? There should be more on the game story here.

Or was Monday night a case of Kamloops not wanting to lose and forging an unbelievable comeback for the win, regardless what the odds were?

No matter how you slice it, Game 6 was hands-down entertaining. And kudos to the Blazers, who played one heck of a third and kept their season alive. It would have been easy for the Blazers to roll over following what was a flat second period by the host team, but they didn't, and an early marker by Marek Hrbas at 5:55 to make it 5-3 gave Kamloops a spark of life that turned into a torrent of energy.

Game 7 will be Wednesday night, 7 p.m., in Portland, and that should be a whale of a game, one certainly worth buying a ticket to experience.

And now, some brief comments about other aspects from Monday night:

1. Great hometown crowd. Yeah, it wasn't a sellout (announced attendance was a touch over 5,000), but it was loud. Really loud. How loud? Well, the loudest I've heard that building in the past dozen years. And certainly louder than any game at Prospera Place this past season, home to the Kelowna Rockets. At the same time, though, the crowd still wasn't as loud as league leaders Tri-City or Everett, but it was in the 90 percentile range, which is a remarkable improvement considering it was almost in library range two seasons ago.

2. Dirty glass. I did a lot of photography on Monday night, and moved around to three different areas. In each case, it looked liked the rink's glass panes hadn't been cleaned in days, maybe weeks, if not longer. Frankly, I've never seen a WHL rink with such filthy glass. Hopefully this gets cleared up — not from a standpoint of photography, but, rather, from a fan viewpoint. Fans pay good money to watch, and they shouldn't have to watch through sub-par glass.

3. 3 stars. All three stars were from Kamloops, which begs the question: What kind of homer pick was this? A one-goal game, with the winning goal decided in the final minute, and the home team sweeps the awards?

I'd understand the three-star sweep if Kamloops:

Had dominated (which it didn't).

Or lost (which it didn't). (As an aside, if a home team has its season come to an end, the trend is for all three stars to come from the home team, with the three usually being the trio of over-age players).

Whoever made the decision might be able to argue that it could be the Blazers' final game of the season, and thus Kamloops was deserving of all three stars. That argument, though, has no strength on the basis that it very well may not be, as Kamloops could very well win Game 7 and could advance to the Western Conference championship.

Hopefully a gaffe like this doesn't happen again, in Kamloops or any other hockey market.

Winterhawks end Rockets' season

All in. That the Portland Winterhawks are using a gambling term as their playoff motto this spring isn’t by coincidence.

On Thursday night, the Winterhawks were all over the place with their royal-flush offence. The end result? A predictable win, albeit hard-fought, over Kelowna, earning the Winterhawks a 4-0 sweep in their Western Conference first-round playoff series with the Rockets. Now Portland is one step closer to its goal of earning a seat at the final table, that being the Memorial Cup in Shawinigan, Que., in May.

“That was Kelowna’s best game (of the series),” said Portland forward Ty Rattie, who scored four goals in the Hawks’ 5-3 victory at Prospera Place. “They pushed back and came back from every goal, and they had a lot of jump tonight. We were lucky enough to get some bounces and we’re happy to close off the series.”

Said Portland general manager and head coach Mike Johnston: “That was a hard series, a real hard-fought series. They battled, they pushed us, and, really, when you look at a first-round matchup, Kelowna was a tough opponent, a real tough opponent. They were more like a No. 4 or 5 seed, and not No. 6. We knew tonight we had our hands full, and I thought they cranked it up.”

Taylor Leier, with what proved to be the game-winning goal at 13:05 of the third period, also scored for Portland, which never trailed in the contest. Rattie iced the win with an insurance marker, an empty-net goal with 35 seconds remaining in the contest. His linemates, Marcel Noebels and Sven Baertschi, also reached the scoresheet, with one and two assists, respectively.

“We played hard. Again,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “It’s that one line of theirs; we didn’t have answer for them all series. Portland is a very good hockey team; they’re deep on the back-end, they got good goaltending and they have a good group of forwards. And that one line (of Baertschi, Rattie and Noebels) that they do have is one that kind of . . . I feel it puts them over the edge right now.”

“Our big line was important in every game,” said Johnston. “They were the game breakers in every game, and you want your big guys to come up at the right time. Rattie, Baertschi and Noebels were really good.”

Madison Bowey, Brett Bulmer and Myles Bell replied for Kelowna, which lost to Portland in the playoffs for the second time in as many years. Last spring, the Winterhawks ousted the Rockets in six games in the second round. Further, Portland was the last team to sweep the Rockets from the post-season, that being in 1994 when the franchise was located in Tacoma, Wash.

Mac Carruth made 29 saves for Portland, while Adam Brown made 30 saves for Kelowna.

For Kelowna, well, this series really wasn’t about them. The Rockets entered as massive underdogs, and, with their Jekyll-and-Hyde season in the background, the end result proved a fitting end to a sub-par campaign. For proof, look at Game 3, in which the Rockets lost 6-3: Kelowna, for the most part, played OK, yet still lost by three goals. Or Game 4, Kelowna’s best effort of the series, and yet the home team still came up short.

Simply put, the Rockets didn’t have the horses, character or drive to compete with the Winterhawks. That’s not a knock on Kelowna, but rather just how good Portland is. 

“It’s not the way you want to end (your season) on a loss, but the last two games, I thought we showed some resilience in our group,” said Huska. “I was proud of the group, that they didn’t roll over in tonight’s situation. We made a couple of mistakes, and as we’ve talked about this whole series, they make you pay. They get a lot of chances, but they do capitalize on the bad mistakes we make. I think our back-end will be better for it, for sure. I guess the one line they had to play against is a line that’s probably going to be in the NHL sooner than later. It will be a learning experience for them; they’re disappointed now, but they’ll get better later on.”

Concerning the Winterhawks, one scout summed it up this way: “Every team has its time in the sun. This is Portland’s time.”

How long will Portland’s time be? Looking at the Hawks’ roster, not long. In the constantly revolving door that is junior hockey, Portland will likely lose several players to the pro game next season, with Sven Baertschi (Calgary Flames), Joe Morrow (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Marcel Noebels (Philadelphia Flyers) being three very good examples. Thus the all-in motto on their black t-shirts, emblazoned over a silhouette of the Memorial Cup.

“We’re going to lose all of our (19-year-olds),” said Johnston. “Almost all of them are signed, so they’re all going to be gone. We’re going to make a lot of changes for next season.”

ICE CHIPS: Game scratches — Kelowna: D Mitchell Chapman (upper-body injury), C Spencer Main (concussion), RW Austin Ferguson, RW Filip Vasko and D Riley Stadel. Portland: D Ben Betker, C Presten Kopeck, C Keegan Iverson, D Cody Castro, RW Alex Schoenborn, C Jason Trott and D Layne Viveiros.

Rockets in must-win scenario

Too little, too late or just in the nick of time. Which will it be for the Kelowna Rockets this evening?

With Portland holding a 3-0 stranglehold in its best-of-seven playoff series with Kelowna, the Rockets could be choked out of the post-season tonight by the high-flying Winterhawks. Portland has outscored Kelowna 16-6 so far, and the Hawks’ offence was lights-out good in Tuesday night’s 6-3 victory at Prospera Place.

How good was it? Consider this: Rockets goalie Adam Brown gave up four goals and was named the third star. If not for him, Portland’s goal total could have hit double digits. And yet, heading into tonight’s Game 4, Kelowna has a glimmer of hope — albeit a small one, but hope nonetheless.

On Wednesday, the WHL announced the length of its suspension to Rockets MVP Brett Bulmer, ruling that his major penalty for kneeing and  game misconduct in Saturday’s 4-0 loss was worth one game. In that contest, Bulmer lost his focus, racking up three kneeing penalties (though his kneeing major was more of a charging major) and two penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct. Bulmer served the suspension on Tuesday. 

The news of Bulmer’s light one-game suspension was certainly welcomed by the Rockets. However, it’ll take more than one player if Kelowna is to somehow storm back against Portland’s hurricane offence. Bulmer, who scored a team-high 34 goals during the regular season, has just two assists in two playoff games this spring. Further, Kelowna’s focus isn’t on scoring; it’s stopping Portland’s top trio of Sven Baertschi, Ty Rattie and Marcel Noebels from scoring.

On Tuesday, the three combined for 11 of Portland’s 14 points. Factor out Portland’s two unassisted empty-net goals, and the ratio was 11 points out of 12 in Portland’s first four goals.

“We watch video on what they’re going to do and stuff like that, just like every other team,” said Rockets defenceman Damon Severson, who scored twice in Game 3. “When it comes down to it, we have to shut down their top guys.”

Those top guys combined to score the game-breaking goals that took place late in the second and early in the third. Rattie made it 3-2 with 40.6 seconds left in the second, when, off a superb, fake-shot-pass from Baertschi in the slot, he knifed home his second of the night. Then, at 3:55 of the third, Baertschi made it 4-2 from the left side, burying a beautiful cross-ice, circle-to-circle feed from Rattie into a half-empty net. Both goals resulted in both groans of disappointment and silent-mouthed approvals of ‘wow’ from the Prospera Place faithful.

Yet, those three aren’t the only ones Kelowna has to worry about. Brad Ross and Brendan Leipsic sprung each other for breakaways, with Brown coming up big and stopping both of them.

“Through our whole lineup, we have guys on the third and fourth lines who can score,” said Baertschi. “That’s the most important thing. If they try to go against our line, we still have other lines who can score. It’s not that easy; I wouldn’t like to play against us; I think it’s really difficult. The organization did a great job of trading the right guys and bringing in the right guys.”

While Portland’s depth can’t be overlooked, Kelowna did a good job of pushing back late in the third. After Severson scored at 18:52 to make it 4-3, the Rockets came oh-so-close in the final minute after pulling Brown for the extra attacker in trying to force overtime. Portland survived — as championship-type teams do, which Kelowna fans can attest to — and iced the game with those two empty-net goals.

“The one line, what, generated most of their goals?” said Severson. “As long as shut them down, it’s a totally different game.”

“We were a lot better than Game 2,” added Rockets captain Colton Sissons. “Our compete was there all night and we really wanted this win . . . we made some mental errors that really came back to bite us in the end.”

Said Baertschi of the final minute: “As soon as they got the goal, you get nervous; anything can happen out there — it’s just how hockey is. But we were still positive and looking forward to winning and not getting confused about other things. Things like (late goals) happen; you have to control yourself and it’s just a part of the game. The emotions and stuff, you have to keep it as low as you can. The guys did a great job of bringing the puck out and we got those goals. It was really good for us.”

What wasn’t good for Kelowna was its power play. The Rockets were 1-for-4 (Portland was 0-for-3), but the more telling story about Kelowna’s extra-man advantage was how few chances it generated.

“We scored on the first one, but, after that, we didn’t generate much,” said Sissons. “We were throwing pucks away and we weren’t making smart decisions with the puck. I don’t know if that’s nerves or . . . we just don’t have our confidence right now. That needs to be fixed up, because we could have won that game on our power play.”

Bottom line: Kelowna had better power up its game tonight, or it’ll be lights out and season over.

Winterhawks take 3-0 series lead

Fans of the Calgary Flames will be cheering Sven Baertschi’s name next season. On Tuesday night, though, he made fans of the Kelowna Rockets groan in disbelief.

Baertschi had two goals and two assists for Portland, with linemate Ty Rattie also scoring two and two, as the Winterhawks beat the Rockets 6-3 in WHL playoff action at Prospera Place on Tuesday evening. Portland leads the best-of-seven series 3-0, and the Winterhawks can close out the first-round affair with a victory Thursday night in Game 4.

“We’re happy with the win tonight,” said Baertschi, the game’s first star and Calgary draft pick, after Kelowna made things interesting with a late goal that made it 4-3 and a wild push in the final minute that almost tied the score. 

Portland, however, survived Kelowna’s attempted rally, then added a pair of empty-net markers to seal the win.

“We have the series on our stick next game,” continued Baertschi. “If we keep playing the same way, it’s going to be good for us. We might be able to go home and get some rest. But there’s still a game we have to win, and we want to win it. We’re really looking forward to Game 4.”

For Kelowna, the tale of Tuesday’s tape was the scoresheet, with Baertschi and Rattie involved in Portland’s first four goals.

“I liked our effort,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “But it was the same thing; you make a bad decision against a good line like that and they make you pay. What’s been a struggle for us is trying to find a way to contain that line.”

Asked in the post-game press scrum what is Portland doing that’s confusing Kelowna, Huska said “it’s not confusing; they’re a good hockey team. We have to do a good job against them . . . the decisions you make with the puck have to be smart, because if you’re going to turn it over and allow them to play with speed against you, you’re asking for trouble.”

Added Rockets captain Colton Sissons: “Really, their one line of Rattie and Baertschi generates all their offence. We haven’t been able to figure out how to stop them yet. That’ll be huge if we can get back in the series and get a huge win on Thursday night.”

Joe Morrow and Taylor Leier, with those empty-net goals, also scored for Portland, which also received an outstanding effort from Marcel Noebels, who added three assists.

“(Four points) is pretty exciting, especially against a team like Kelowna and in a building like this,” said Rattie. “It’s always tough coming to Kelowna, but the pucks were going our way and it’s a big win.”

As for getting four points, including his fifth and sixth goals of the post-season, Rattie said “If I don’t get those kind of stats playing with a guy like Sven Baertschi, something’s wrong. I’m lucky to play on a great line.”

Damon Severson, with two goals, and Cole Martin, both defencemen, replied for Kelowna, which trailed 2-1 and 3-2 at the period breaks. Kelowna hasn’t been swept from the playoffs since 1994, when the franchise, then located in Tacoma, Wash., lost out in four to, of all teams, Portland.

Mac Carruth made 38 saves for the Winterhawks, while Adam Brown turned aside 40 shots for the Rockets.

ICE CHIPS: Game scratches — Kelowna: D Mitchell Chapman (upper-body injury), C Spencer Main (concussion), LW Brett Bulmer (kneeing suspension), RW Austin Ferguson, D Riley Stadel. Portland: D Ben Betker, LW Oliver Gabriel (1-game suspension), C Keegan Iverson, D Cody Castro, RW Alex Schoenborn, D Layne Viveiros and C Presten Kopeck.

Rockets without Bulmer for Game 3

Brett Bulmer was the last player off the ice in Monday afternoon's practice. He won’t be on it Tuesday's game.

The Kelowna Rockets and Portland Winterhawks continue their first-round playoff series Tuesday night at Prospera Place, and Bulmer won’t be available for the host team. On Monday, the WHL suspended Kelowna’s leading goal scorer for his undisciplined actions in Saturday night’s Game 2, which Portland won 4-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Bulmer, whose suspension length was to be determined as of Monday night, earned three kneeing penalties that night, with the last earning him a major penalty and game misconduct midway through the third period. Bulmer also earned two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the first period.

“It’s hard to argue,” Rockets head coach Ryan Huska said of Bulmer’s suspension. “He had three kneeing penalties in the game. You don’t want to see anybody get hurt; it’s not a great way to hit a guy, and I’m hoping it’s just one game.”

Fresh out of the penalty box after serving a kneeing penalty at 9:55, Bulmer was quickly thrown back in after lining up and hitting Portland defenceman William Wrenn along the Winterhawks’ right half-wall at 12:11. Wrenn appeared to have suffered an injury on the hit; he immediately favoured his left leg after getting up, and there was no word from the Winterhawks on Monday as to their captain’s health.

Bulmer scored a team-high 34 goals for the Rockets this season, and was second in team scoring with 62 points, behind right-winger Shane McColgan (18-26-64). Wrenn is a key member of Portland’s blue-line, a 21-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, who led all Winterhawk defencemen in plus-minus at plus-20.

Which player is more important to his team can be debated endlessly — a high scorer or a defence-first captain. What can’t be debated is that Portland will also be without 6-foot-2 left-winger Oliver Gabriel, as the Edmonton product was suspended on Monday for one game for earning a game misconduct early in Game 2 on Saturday night. No further reason was given for Gabriel’s suspension, though he was handed a slashing minor at 31 seconds of the second period, then was given a game misconduct.

Continuing on with injuries, Rockets captain Colton Sissons left Game 2 part-way through and didn’t return. On Monday, Huska said “we’re expecting him to be back,” while defensive defenceman Mitchell Chapman (undisclosed upper-body injury) is listed as doubtful for tonight.

Having had time to digest Games 1 and 2, Huska said “we need to have short memories. You have to be that way at this time of the season. Portland is a very good hockey team, but we can’t give them too much respect; that’s one thing in the second game that we did a little bit. They’re good, yeah, but we can play hard against them. Harder than we did in Game 2, and that’s the mindset we need to have.”

It’s a plan that’s been used by Kelowna many times, with one immediate example being the 2009 playoffs. The Rockets lost their first two games in a second-round meeting with Tri-City, yet wound up besting the Americans in six games. Of course, Kelowna’s roster that season featured a loaded roster, but also playing a big role was how the Rockets bashed the Americans from pillar to post. The end result was a Tri-City roster which entered the playoffs scuffed, but got further nicked, bruised and heavily bandaged. For example, left-winger Mitch Fadden had a separated shoulder, while left-winger Petr Stoklasa had two separated shoulders and had a harness on each one.

“Yes, (their physical play) affected us,” then Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur said. “It was almost like getting bombed every night in a war, and, after a while, it gets too much for you. They did a good job; their physical presence was a good game plan and their power play and skill came out in the end. And that’s why they're moving on.”

“We’re definitely looking to play more physical against (Portland),” said Rockets defenceman MacKenzie Johnston. “I don’t think we got the body on them, especially on their back-end, that we needed to. We need to be really tough on them, because the longer this series goes, they’re going to be more worn down by the end of it. We definitely have to get more body on them.” 

ICE CHIPS: Monday seemed to be a day of suspensions with Kelowna angles. Not only were Bulmer and Gabriel suspended, but Kelowna products Ryan Harrison and Cody Beach were also handed suspensions. Harrison, who plays for Everett, was suspended one game for an interference major and game misconduct in the Silvertips’ 3-1 loss at the Tri-City Americans on Saturday. Beach, a 6-foot-6 power forward who plays for Moose Jaw, was suspended one game for a derogatory comment at the Regina Pats’ bench in the Warriors’ 8-1 win on Saturday. . . . Everett was also handed a $500 fine for violation of the WHL’s social media policy on Saturday (it’s believed a player swore in criticizing the officiating in a Tweet).

This is a fine mess the Kelowna Rockets are now in. Sad thing is, they only have themselves to blame.

On Tuesday night, Kelowna will host Game 3 of their playoff series with the Portland Winterhawks, a best-of-seven affair the Rockets trail 0-2.

With the series having started in Portland, it isn’t surprising that  Kelowna is down two games; the Winterhawks compiled an impressive home record of 31-4-1-0 this season, and they continued that trend on the weekend, dismantling Kelowna 6-3 and 4-0.

What was surprising was how badly Kelowna was outshot: 55-29 in Game 1, then 39-20 in Game 2. Total thus far: a mirror image in many ways of 94-49.

Elsewhere in the WHL playoffs, the Vancouver Giants are up 2-0 on the Spokane Chiefs after recording 7-5 and 7-3 home-ice wins. The Rockets could be in the Giants’ shoes right now, facing a team on equal footing instead of trying to slay the Western Conference’s version of Goliath. During the regular season, Vancouver finished 14 points ahead of Kelowna, and now the Giants are reaping their regular-season efforts with a better first-round opponent. 

Had Kelowna won just one extra game every 3.5 weeks — just one — well, the Rockets wouldn’t be playing Portland. And goaltender Adam Brown, the best ’keeper in franchise history, wouldn’t be facing a barrage of shots.

For the record, Kelowna was 2-2 against Spokane this season and 5-1-2-0 against Vancouver.

The regular-season ship has sailed, though, and now the Rockets have to win four of the series’ next five games if they want to advance to the second round. That’s an extremely tough task, winning four of five. And they might have to do it without forward Brett Bulmer.

On Saturday, Bulmer ran up a string of penalties: two for unsportsmanlike conduct in the first period, at 3:16 and 5:51; kneeing in the second, at 7:39; kneeing in the third, at 9:55, then a major kneeing penalty and game misconduct at 12:11.

“That’s part of playoffs. Especially with teams that are less talented than us, which is most teams in our league,” Portland goaltender Mac Carruth told The Columbian of Kelowna taking 53 penalty minutes, 23 of them to Bulmer. “They’re going to get chippy. They’re going to try to get us off our game. I think our guys did a really good job of staying together tonight.”

The WHL has an online version of its rulebook, albeit from 2008-09, and Rule 50 is about kneeing. Here are the definitions.

Rule 50 - Kneeing

50.1 Kneeing — Kneeing is the act of a player or goalkeeper leading with his knee and in some cases extending his leg outwards to make contact with his opponent.

50.2 Minor Penalty — The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a minor penalty, based on the severity of the infraction, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of kneeing an opponent.

50.3 Major Penalty — The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a major penalty, based on the severity of the infraction, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of kneeing an opponent (see 50.5).

50.4 Match Penalty — The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player or goalkeeper attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent by kneeing.

50.5 Game Misconduct Penalty — When a player or goalkeeper has been assessed a major penalty for kneeing he shall also be assessed a Game Misconduct.

In Bulmer’s case, three kneeing penalties in one game is a flashing red light flashing, one that will certainly draw attention. However, in regards to possible supplementary discipline, 50.6, which involves fines and suspensions, had been crossed out. Here’s the rule:

50.6 Fines and Suspensions — There are no specified fines or suspensions for kneeing, however, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion.

Confusing the picture is the NHL’s online version of rule 50.6, which has the exact same wording, but isn’t crossed out.

Time will tell if Bulmer gets a suspension of sorts, but maybe his being on the sidelines isn’t a bad thing. With this being his last season in the WHL, and Kelowna’s roster filled with youth, spreading out his ice time to others can be, in the long term, a valuable learning experience. That’s assuming, of course, there isn’t a major roster shake-up in the off-season following this Jekyll-and-Hyde season.

Yes, win or lose, these next two home games are going to say a lot about who’ll be back for next season.

Winterhawks win Game 2; up 2-0

By Larry Fisher

The Okanagan Sunday

Ty Rattie didn’t do as much damage, but it was still more than enough — or more than the Kelowna Rockets could match.

Coming off a hat trick in Friday’s series opener, Rattie scored another goal and added an assist as the host Portland Winterhawks beat the Rockets 4-0 in WHL playoff action on Saturday evening in front of 5,885 fans at Memorial Coliseum. It was an even more lopsided result than Friday’s 6-3 doubling for the third-ranked Winterhawks, who now lead the sixth-seeded Rockets 2-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final.

The series shifts to Kelowna for Games 3 and 4 at Prospera Place on Tuesday night and Thursday night. Both are 7 p.m. starts.

“They were definitely the better team,” said Rockets coach Ryan Huska, whose squad was almost doubled in shots on goal, 39-20, for the second straight night after Friday’s 55-29 differential. “They wanted the game more, and, because of that, they won the majority of the puck battles on the ice.”

That led to scoring chances and power plays, with Portland’s special-teams being the difference. The Winterhawks scored twice with the extra man — defenceman Troy Rutkowski to open the scoring in the second and Rattie to make it 3-0 in the third — while Brad Ross had a shorthanded breakaway goal late in the second that put Portland ahead 2-0.

“It’s terrible to give up goals like that,” Huska said of the demoralizing marker with 1:07 left in the middle frame, the product of a Myles Bell turnover at Portland’s blue-line, springing Ross, who deked Rockets goalie Adam Brown. “We were on the power play and those are typically killers, because you go into your room remembering that goal instead of something positive. That was a tough one for us.”

Kelowna never recovered, as Rattie buried his fourth of the series and 61st of the season on a perfectly placed shot over a sprawled Brown just 2:07 into the third. It came off a pass from Sven Baertschi, who also combined with Rattie to set-up Tyler Wotherspoon’s 4-0 goal on a delayed penalty to Kelowna. Rattie has five points and Baertschi has four helpers after two games.

Kelowna failed to generate much offence, making for a relatively easy 20-save shutout for Winterhawks goalie Mac Carruth. Brown made 35 saves for the Rockets, with Huska complimenting his effort and adding Brown will start Game 3.

A bigger question mark will be captain Colton Sissons, who, according to Huska, came down with the flu and was forced to leave Saturday’s game.

Sissons, who scored one of Kelowna’s goals in Game 1, had just returned to the lineup the previous weekend after missing 14 games with a concussion. The Rockets are still without assistant captain and defenceman Mitchell Chapman (undisclosed upper-body injury).