Tonight at 7 p.m. the P.E.I. Rocket host the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Both teams are ranked at 13^th and 14^th overall. The Rocket are 1-2-0-1 while the Huskies are 1-2-1-0 both good for 3 points.

Rocket Leading scorers

Goaltending

Huskies Leading Scorers

Goaltending

Special Teams

By Patrick Moore

The Rocket return home for three crucial games in the opening round. They return home after earning a very important split in Shawinigan. The Rocket will look to take a 2-1 series lead with Game 3 being played on Tuesday.

This series has definitely lived up to the hype, as it has been a very tight series. Shawinigan won Game One 2-1 in overtime. The Cataractes scored late in the first on a Hobbs giveaway to make it 1-0, but it was the middle of the third period when Travis McIsaac scored to tie the game 1-1. In overtime Travis got called on a hooking penalty about four minutes into overtime, and it was on that powerplay that Michael Bournival would fire in his first goal of the 2011 playoffs to give the Cataractes the win and a 1-0 series lead.

In Game Two the Rocket got off to a slow start getting outshot 12-4 at one point in the first period, but Mosher was Mosher and he stopped the shots. The Rocket struck first late in the first period, as Morneau would score his first of the postseason to put the Rocket up 1-0. The Cats would tie it up midway through the second period as former Rocket Ben Casavant scored his first of the postseason, but Andrej Nestrasil made sure the Rocket would have the advantage going into the third period with a goal with four minutes left. Midway through the third period the Rocket and Cats would swap goals as Croteau would score his first and Anton Zlobin would score his second of the series. With the score 3-2 for the Rocket, Ben Duffy would continue where he left off and score his first to ice the game 4-2.

Game Three is Tuesday March, 29 and Game Four is Wednesday March, 30.

Here are the other playoff series:

Saint John Sea Dogs 2 vs Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 0

Montreal Junior 2 vs Halifax Mooseheads 0

Quebec Remparts 2 vs Val d’Or Foreurs 0

Drummondville Voltigeurs 2 vs Chicoutimi Sagueneens 0

Gatineau Olympiques 2 vs Rimouski Oceanic 0

Acadie-Bathurst Titan 0 vs Victoriaville Tigres 2

Shawinigan Cataractes 1 vs PEI Rocket 1

Lewiston MAINEiacs 1 vs Moncton Wildcats 1

The PEI Rocket will begin the post season on the road in Shawinigan. The Rocket finish the season in 10^thplace after going 33-26-3-6. It wasn’t an easy road for the Rocket. This was probably one of the most competitive QMJHL seasons with over half the league finishing with a point percentage over .500.

There was a lot of excitement to this season whether the Rocket won or lost. Some highlights of this season would include the overtime loss to the Quebec Remparts, Paradis’s overtime goal against the Shawinigan Cataractes (a goal that was scored with former Rocket Ben Casavant on the ice), the power outage game against Louis Leblanc’s Montreal Junior, and of course the recent 5-2 thumping of the top ranked Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Rocket will be entering the post season as the underdog team, but they have already played the role of spoiler this season when they ruined the Sea Dogs chances at history. The Sea Dogs were going for a record 59 wins and now they can only tie the record; however they will be considered the first ranked team for that record due to a shorter season.

The Rocket enter the playoffs with a lot of momentum and confidence with wins against some very tough opponents (Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs). Philippe Paradis will return from his three game suspension in time for game one.

Here is the playoff tree:

Standings:

Z= First Overall

Y= Division Winner

X= Playoffs

E= Eliminated

The Rocket were forced to face a difficult task; finish the home season against the country’s best team without Paradis. The Sea Dogs who were 56-6-1-2 going into the game would leave with their seventh regulation loss and tenth overall loss.

Before the game the PEI Rocket honoured our QMJHL graduates; Evan Mosher, Travis McIsaac, and Samuel Morneau. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors. Whatever you three end up doing, we know that you will put your heart and soul into it.

The first period was fairly uneventful; there were no fights and a couple penalties. It got interesting at the 17:33 mark of the period when Olivier Croteau sniped the puck behind DeSerres and top shelf. The goal would be reviewed and after a couple minutes it was deemed to be a good goal. The first period would end 1-0 for the Rocket with the Rocket leading the shot clock 9-8.

Into the second period there was minor delay before the opening faceoff because it appeared that Mosher was having some equipment problems. At the 13:50 mark of the period Ben Duffy would fire in his 36^th goal of the season. A mere twenty-six seconds later Travis McIsaac would net his 15^th goal of the season to make it 3-0 after the second. The Sea Dogs lead the shots 22-21 after the second period.

Up 3-0 in the third period the Rocket were out there for a rare win against the Sea Dogs. 4:07 into the third period, Sea Dog star forward Jonathan Huberdeau would score his 42^nd goal of the season to kill the shutout bid and make it a 3-1 game; but twenty seconds later Duffy would net his 37^th goal and second of the game to regain the three goal lead. At 16:26 Tomas Jurco scored on the powerplay to make it 4-2. Both teams played great but a comeback was not on the menu for the Sea Dogs as Alex Noel would slide home his 14^th goal of the season into the empty net.

It was a phenomenal game full of excitement and scary moments. When asked about the game Travis McIsaac had this to say, “It’s a rewarding win obviously. Everyone showed up and everyone emptied the tank tonight.”

Three Stars:

3: Evan Mosher (39 shots, 2 goals against)

2: Travis McIsaac (1 Goal – 0 Assists +2)

1: Ben Duffy (2 Goals – 1 Assist +2)

REMINDER: Playoffs are just around the corner, so be sure to pick up your playoff tickets. Games 1 and 2 will be on the road.

Wednesday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m.

The PEI Rocket hosts the top CHL team the Saint John Sea Dogs. This is a make up game from December and is the last home game played before the playoffs. The Rocket have managed to steal one point from the Sea Dogs which is more than what a majority of QMJHL teams have gotten.

This game will feature the countless talented players on the Sea Dogs and Rocket. This game will be a hard fought match between two very talented teams looking to go into the post season on a strong note.

Come on down to the Civic Center to cheer on your PEI Rocket before they head out on the road for four crucial games.

Please note that if you still have your tickets from the December 28^th game you can still use them for this game.

Top Scorers:

Goalies:

See you at the rink!

1.     Who is your favourite band or musician?

a.     “A favourite recent band would be Kings of Leon”

2.     What is your favourite movie?

a.     “Probably Wedding Crashers, it’s pretty funny”

3.     What is your favourite TV show?

a.     “Dexter”

4.     What has been the key thing to your success in the 3 in 3 or 3 in 4 weekends?

a.     “Make sure we get our rest, and getting off to a good start has helped us out a lot”

5.     What has been the key thing to your tough play against the top teams?

a.     “Getting pumped up to play the top teams, you gotta bring your best game against them”

6.     What would be your favourite memory of the PEI Rocket?

a.     “Probably last year getting the call for the opening night game and getting the win against Moncton; that was pretty big”

7.     What did you like the most about Prince Edward Island?

a.     “Coming back to training camp and the summer vibe, getting some golf in and going to the beaches”

8.     Who is your most underrated teammate?

a.     “Probably Croteau, he’s been putting up some goals lately and is producing more than most people expected of him”

9.     Who is your favourite team to play against?

a.     “Moncton’s always good, good rivalry, so probably them”

10. If you could be playing for any other QMJHL (or CHL) team, who would you be playing for?

a.     “I wouldn’t mind trying to see what it’s like in another league, no particular team. Maybe play in the O (OHL), see what it was like and see if it was any different”

11. What will be your most memorable game with the Rocket?

a.     “I mentioned earlier the opening game against Moncton. This year maybe Saint John, I set a record for saves in a game…I mean a personal record, so probably that”

12. What were you thinking when you faced 67 shots against Saint John?

a.     “I didn’t really have much time to think, they were coming at me a lot, so I went with the flow. With a lot of shots you don’t overthink, you go with your instincts”

13. How difficult was it going from a backup goalie to a starting goalie?

a.     “I was a starting goalie in the Maritime Junior A league, so mentally it wasn’t that big of a step, but physically it was bigger to play more games”

14. How do you clear your mind after you have an off game?

a.     “No matter what kind of night it is I have to look towards the next game. I try to have a short memory so I’m not overconfident next game”

15. Were you surprised that you weren’t traded?

a.     “Not really, I think they needed me to be a bit of a mentor for Max if he is starting next year. I think they (also) wanted to keep me to try to make a bit of a run in the playoffs”

16. Do you prefer games where you face a lot of shots, or not many shots?

a.     “I wouldn’t want to face 67 shots every night, but I would like a decent amount of shots to keep me focused on the game”

17. What is the idea/meaning behind your mask?

a.     “There’s not really a meaning, the painter said it is like the ‘King of the Crease’”

18. What got you interested in being a goalie?

a.     “Growing up I was always in nets playing road hockey, so when I started playing ice hockey it was easier learning to play on skates, I seemed to pick it up easily”

19. What do you like about being a goalie?

a.     “I like when I get to make the big save, I like knowing that I can make a difference”

20. There are three games left, what’s the mood like going into the playoffs?

a.     “We’ve had a lot of success lately, we had that one let down game against Halifax, but we came back and got the big win against Moncton. I think we’re playing pretty good lately, we’ve been getting points and we’ll try to continue that this week, maybe we can leapfrog a spot in the standings and get a good push on in the playoffs”

21. Do you have any advice for the young athletes or fans?

a.     “Just be your best, there are different roads for everyone, and you’re not going to get stuff easily. So don’t give up, there might be a different plan for you than someone else, so don’t compare yourself to anyone else, set your own standards and something good will happen”

1.     Who is your favourite band or musician?

a.     The Tragically Hip

2.     What is your favourite movie?

a.     Billy Madison, Law Abiding Citizen (No definite favourite)

3.     What is your favourite TV show?

a.     Family Guy

4.     What has been the key thing to your success in the 3 in 3 or 3 in 4 weekends?

a.     Win the first game, you have a good start. Last game you need to hang in there.

5.     What has been the key thing to your tough play against the top teams?

a.     Work hard, show up, play our game

6.     What would be your favourite memory of the PEI Rocket?

a.     Playing in front of friends and family, the home opener since it was

7.     Who is your most underrated teammate?

a.     There are a lot of players that don’t get a lot of recognition, everyone shows up and does their job.

8.     What is your ultimate goal with the Rocket?

a.     No personal goals, but the main goal is to have a good playoff run

9.     Who is your favourite team to play against?

a.     No favourite team, but Travis likes to play in Moncton.

10. If you could be playing for any other QMJHL (or CHL) team, who would you be playing for?

a.     Travis would still be playing for Victoriaville because he is familiar with the city, fans, and players; and if he wasn’t traded to PEI he probably wouldn’t have been traded anyway.

11. Were you shocked when the Rocket made you team captain?

a.     Travis was very surprised to be named team captain, but he does his best to make sure that he earned the position.

12. How difficult is it being the team captain?

a.     Travis doesn’t find it difficult because there haven’t been any “problem” players on the team. The team’s positive attitude helps make his job a lot easier.

13. What will be your most memorable game with the Rocket?

a.     Travis’s most memorable game would be some of the overtime games, mainly the Shawinigan at Rocket game that saw Paradis score the OT winner against his former team.

14. How nervous are you guys going into the playoffs?

a.     Not too nervous, the team is ready for the playoffs.

15. Who do you turn to when you need a bit of a motivational boost?

a.     Travis looks for his own way to motivate himself so he doesn’t have to rely on others to motivate him.

16. Which QMJHL team (apart from the Rocket) do you think will pull of an upset?

a.     Anyone, the teams are so close this year that any team is more than capable of pulling off an upset.

17. How happy are you to finish your junior career in your home province?

a.     Travis was looking forward to going back to Victoriaville, but was glad to know that he would finish his career in PEI. It’s extra special because he gets to finish his career in front of his friends and family. He hopes that he can delay his last game with a long playoff run.

18. Which NHL team would you want to play for?

a.     Travis said that at this point he would take any call he got, but given the choice, he would play for his favourite team; the Colorado Avalanche.

19. Who are you guys expecting to see in the first round (due to close standings)?

a.     There are too many teams that they know they might be playing, but they haven’t bothered focusing on any specific team. He thinks they will most likely play Bathurst.

20. Do you have any advice for the young athletes or fans?

a.     “Just have fun, it’s part of the game. The harder you work the more it’s worth it.”

By: Patrick Moore

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Wednesday, March 2^nd; 7:00 p.m.

The PEI Rocket return home after going 2-1-1 in their four games away due to the Scotties. The Rocket beat Cape Breton 5-1 in the final game of their four game road trip.

Ben Duffy will be looking for more points against Cape Breton; he currently has 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points.

Rocket lead the season series 6-1-0 and are looking to make it 7-1-0. The Rocket currently sit at 27-24-2-6 for 12^th place while the Eagles sit at 17-39-1-4 for 16^th place.

Playoffs are just around the corner and there are only six home games left. Come on down to the rink and watch the Rocket gear up for the playoffs. Let’s keep the house rocking like it was at the Scotties.

Top Scorers:

Goalies:

See you at the rink!