It乌鸦传媒檚 all come down to a best-of-three.
With a trip to the Western Hockey League乌鸦传媒檚 championship series beckoning, the Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds meet tonight in Game 5 of the Western Conference final in Kent, Wash.
While the stakes get higher with each passing game, Rockets乌鸦传媒� head coach Jason Smith said little will change in the way his club prepares for the task ahead.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檒l take the steps we need to make sure we乌鸦传媒檙e ready to play the game,乌鸦传媒� Smith said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檒l make sure we get rest, food and hydration and just move forward.
乌鸦传媒淚 think we gotta worry about what we乌鸦传媒檙e doing as a team and what we乌鸦传媒檙e doing as a group, making sure we乌鸦传媒檙e taking care of what we can control,乌鸦传媒� Smith added. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not worried about what they乌鸦传媒檙e doing.乌鸦传媒�
What the Thunderbirds did was get the upper hand in the series with a 2-1 win on Tuesday night, as Keegan Kolesar scored the decisive goal with just 20 seconds remaining in the game.
On Wednesday, in what Smith乌鸦传媒檚 club considered a must-win scenario, the Rockets rebounded for a 4-2 win to even the series and assure a Game 6 would be played on Sunday in Kelowna.
To move on in the playoffs, the Rockets will have to win at least one more time on Thunderbirds乌鸦传媒� ice.
Rockets rookie Nolan Foote said that victory might as well come on Friday night.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 huge for us to go into Seattle with this win,乌鸦传媒� said Foote who connected for his first playoff goal in the Game 4 victory. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e gotta go down there and get the win, come back to Kelowna with the home crowd and finish them off.乌鸦传媒�
Game 6 of the Western Conference championship will face off at 5:05 p.m. Sunday at Prospera Place.
A seventh game, if needed, is set for Tuesday, May 2 in Kent.
Stephens signs with Sabres乌鸦传媒�
Rockets乌鸦传媒� defenceman took the next step towards a pro career this week, signing a three-year entry level deal with the NHL乌鸦传媒檚 Buffalo Sabres.
Stephens, 20, was drafted by the Sabres in the fifth round, 122nd overall in the 2015 NHL draft.
A native of Surrey, Stephens is in his third season with the Rockets during which time he has collected 19 goals and 57 points in 203 games while posting a +56 rating and 166 penalty minutes. He also added 12 assists, and a +5 rating in 50 career playoff games.
The 6-foot-1, 176-pound rearguard led Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 blueline corps in goals this season with 13, while adding 22 assists in 67 games.
Stephens was a member of the Rockets乌鸦传媒� WHL championship team in the 2014-2015 season.
