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Kelowna Rockets complete comeback over Edmonton, win 3rd in a row

The Rockets have won 11 of their last 15 games
Jordy Cunningham
Jordy Cunningham
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The Kelowna Rockets won their sixth straight game on home ice with their 4-3 comeback win on Friday, Jan. 5 against the Edmonton Oil Kings. (@Kelowna_Rockets/X)

The wins keep on coming for the Kelowna Rockets.

On Friday night (Jan. 5) in their first home game of the new year, the Rockets came back from down 3-0 to win 4-3 against the Edmonton Oil Kings.

Edmonton used two goals from Adam Jecho and the Oil Kings led 3-0 after the first period.

Kelowna started their comeback late in the second period when Luke Schelter, in just his eighth game with the Rockets, scored on the powerplay to make it 3-1. Andrew Cristall and Gabriel Szturc assisted on the goal.

In the third period, the Rockets came alive and got help from scoring throughout the line-up. In his 31st career WHL game, defenceman Landon Cowper scored his first career goal at the 3:30 mark of the frame, making it 3-2. Cristall and Marek Rocak collected the assists.

Just over halfway through the period, captain Szturc scored his 19th goal of the season to tie the game 3-3. Cristall added his third assist of the game on the goal while Cowper collected the other helper.

And just 77 seconds later, Schelter scored his second of the game, seventh of the season, to give the Rockets the 4-3 lead, completing the comeback. Rocak and Kayden Sadhra-Kang assisted on the game-winning goal.

Jake Pilon earned the win for the Rockets, making nine saves over two periods.

After his three assists, Cristall is up to sixth in WHL scoring with 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) in 30 games this season. He’s also second in the league averaging 2.1 points per game.

Szturc, with his goal and assist, is now seven points away from becoming the Rockets franchise leader in points by a European.

With the win, the Rockets have won three games in a row and 11 of their last 15 games. It was also their sixth straight win at Prospera Place. They sit sixth in the Western Conference with a 18-16-2-0 record.

Saturday night provides a tough task for the Rockets as they head down to Wenatchee to take on the Wild, who sit third in the West (23-13-3-0). Puck drop is at 6 p.m.

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Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
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