It乌鸦传媒檚 life or death for the Kelowna Rockets season come March 19.
The Rockets notched two points in a 3-2 overtime win over the Vancouver Giants Saturday night. Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 Mark Liwiski scored the overtime winner to send the Rockets into a tiebreaker game with the Kamloops Blazers, where only the winning team will advance to the WHL playoffs.
A 3-2 overtime win for the 鈦� in their last regular season game. Mark Liwiski乌鸦传媒檚 overtime winner means the Rockets will play the Blazers for a one-game tiebreaker in Kamloops Tuesday night. Winner advances to playoffs. Loser goes home.
乌鸦传媒� Mack Britton (@MackBrittonBC)
It was the final regular season game for the Rockets, and after going winless in their previous four games, the Rockets needed to either out-pace or match Kamloops in the Blazers乌鸦传媒� final game of the season against Prince George, in order to have a chance at the playoffs.
The Giants, who have already clinched a playoff berth and lead the B.C. division, gave the Rockets some help Saturday night by resting three of their best players in order to rest them for the playoffs. Even with some of their better players out, the Giants were still a tough match-up for the Rockets.
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The Giants took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal halfway through the first period, but the Rockets乌鸦传媒� Cayde Augustine got a lucky bounce off a Giants skater with an innocent point shot that found the back of the net to tie it 1-1.
In the second period, after a good fore-check from Connor Bruggen-Cate, Alex Swetlikoff was able to give the Rockets a 2-1 lead in the second period. Swetlikoff made a strong move on a wraparound attempt and followed his rebound to roof it past Giants乌鸦传媒� goalie David Tendeck.
乌鸦传媒淚 felt like (Swetlikoff) was going to go, I was going to talk to him before the game, but I just gave him a tap,乌鸦传媒� coach Adam Foote said about Swetlikoff who had suffered almost 30 stitches in Friday nights game. 乌鸦传媒淪ome guys would be discouraged after (stitches), he乌鸦传媒檚 just going to move forward, he乌鸦传媒檚 been getting better and better every game.乌鸦传媒�
The Rockets played with desperation and pace in the second period , because after all, without the two points from a victory, they stood little chance of securing a playoff berth.
The Rockets would head into the final game of the regular season乌鸦传媒檚 third period with a 2-1 lead over the Giants.
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The Rockets continued to press in the third period, and almost got away with a regulation win until the Giants tied it up with only 32 seconds remaining in the game to send the game to overtime.
Rockets coach Adam Foote knows it was a test for the team.
It乌鸦传媒檚 been a hard fought season for the , but it乌鸦传媒檚 not over yet. Rockets can advance to playoffs with a win in the tiebreaker against Kamloops March 19.
乌鸦传媒� Mack Britton (@MackBrittonBC)
At around the same time the Rockets were heading into overtime against the best team in the B.C. division, the Kamloops Blazers were securing a win, as well as two crucial points, over the Prince George Cougars 乌鸦传媒� meaning anything less than an overtime victory would mean the end to the Rockets season.
Liwiski made an amazing effort along side line-mate Swetlikoff in the dying minutes of the overtime and snapped a shot five-hole past Tendeck to ensure Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 playoff dreams did not end Saturday night.
Rockets乌鸦传媒� goalie Roman Basran stopped 19 of 21 shots.
Kelowna乌鸦传媒檚 playoff fate will be decided March 19 in Kamloops against the Blazers.
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