Leif Mattson scored twice, including the overtime winner, as the ѻý Rockets prevailed 3-2 over the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday night.
Mattson buried a rebound of Kyle Toppingѻý shot just 20 seconds into the 3-on-3 tiebreaker to get the victory after ѻý had given up the tying goal with just 10.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
Mattsonѻý goals were his 10th and 11th of the season, with Nolan Foote assisting on his first tally that tied the game 1-1 in the second period. That was Footeѻý 100th point of his WHL career after celebrating his 18th birthday on Thursday.
Kyle Crosbie, with his fourth of the season, had the other goal for the Rockets (12-15-1-0), who return to host the Saskatoon Blades tonight in the fifth annual Teddy Bear Toss game, 7:05 p.m. at Prospera Place.
Friday marked Adam Footeѻý 14th game as ѻýѻý head coach (8-5-1-0), matching Jason Smithѻý total (4-10-0-0). The Rockets made that change on Oct. 23.
James Porter backstopped the win over Tri-City with 26 saves.
Kyle Olson, with his fifth to open the scoring in the first period, and Krystof Hrabik, with his eighth to force overtime, provided the offence for the Americans (14-9-1-0), who got 23 stops from Beck Warm in a losing effort.
ѻýѻý penalty-killing was a big factor in Fridayѻý victory, surviving all six short-handed situations including a five-minute major assessed to Ted Brennan.
The power plays were lopsided — 6-1 in Tri-Cityѻý favour — but the Rockets put forth a quality road performance to get back in the win column after dropping 2-1 decisions to a pair of division leaders in the Everett Silvertips and Vancouver Giants.
Porter came up a big save with 16.1 seconds left in the third period, but the Americans won the ensuing faceoff and Hrabik, a 19-year-old rookie import from the Czech Republic, netted the late equalizer.
Looking ahead to tonightѻý game against Saskatoon, Rockets winger Michael Farren was excited to face his former team, having been acquired from the Blades for a third-round bantam draft pick on Oct. 11. Farren has only managed one assist through 14 games with ѻý, but would love to break out on Teddy Bear Toss night.
“I’m pretty excited to play against the old team and see a few of my friends. I really want to get the win against them and rub it in,” said Farren. “Itѻý going to be a fun game because of Teddy Bear Toss, itѻý always fun seeing all the bears thrown on the ice. The one thing we need to do is keep the energy going after that opening goal.”
Off the ice on Friday, the Rockets’ brass made another move in trading 19-year-old forward Jack Cowell to the Kootenay Ice in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft.
“Our team is in a situation where we’re working toward the Memorial Cup, and we’re aiming to acquire as many assets as possible,” said ѻý general manager Bruce Hamilton.
Cowell, a 6-foot-2, 189-pound forward from Winnipeg — where the Ice are rumoured to be relocating to next season — was listed by the Rockets as a training-camp invite in 2016.
In 26 games this season with the Rockets, Cowell contributed five points (two goals, three assists) and 26 penalty minutes.