Tij Iginla cannot be stopped ?‍?@Kelowna_Rockets | @utahhockeyclub | #UtahHC pic.twitter.com/BAYuFDBmzH

– The WHL (@TheWHL) November 9, 2024

If you look at the shots, zone time and time of possession, you’d think the Kelowna Rockets chased the visiting Saskatoon Blades out of Prospera Place.

This is not the case!

The Rockets needed a spectacular goal from Tij Iginla with 4:08 left in regulation for a thrilling 2-1 victory.

It was, by far, the Rockets’ most complete effort of the season from start to finish. The Rockets were all over the Blades every time they touched the puck, won most of the battles along the walls and neutralized their speed through the neutral zone.

They also won the majority of pucks in the faceoff circle.

“I thought from start to finish we stuck to the game plan. As a coach, it’s both very rewarding and frustrating because you know what your team is capable of,” said head coach Kris Mallette.

“Today we played the right way and had a lot of chances. Their goalkeeper played very well.

We gave up a few chances defensively, but I thought for the most part it was a very easy game.

The teams traded goals in the first. Grayden Siepmann got the visitors going early with a rising wrist shot that Jari Kykkanen appeared to be knocked off of.

Andrew Cristall got this one back just after 13 minutes. Caden Price broke up an entry at the blue line during a Blades power play and sent Cristall away with Iginla in a two-on-one. Cristall looked past Iginla and scored his seventh of the season past Evan Gardner to tie the game.

Despite their dominance, the Rockets were unable to beat Gardner during the second and much of the third.

Iginla had a chance when he was alone on the penalty kill and he and Cristall had another shorthanded duel, but couldn’t pull the trigger.

In fact, that line with Max Graham had at least a dozen opportunities before Iginla finally broke through.

“Whenever you have a lot of chances and they’re not necessarily going in, I think it’s easy to grip the stick a little tighter and press a little more,” Iginla said.

“Our line and the team were playing well, so keep it up and believe the next one is coming.”

On the winning goal, Iginla gained the offensive zone, launched a move to defenseman Jordan Martin who sent a piece of the Rocket forward and, falling, threw the puck past a surprised Gardner.

“I took him in the middle and threatened to shoot, saw the guy trying to go down, tried to get around him. I was a little unbalanced… and it was lucky to get in there.

“It was a bit of a weird goal, but I think when you have a lot of chances, one could have been saved and the next one would go in. It’s just percentages… you keep getting chances that one d ‘They should hopefully get in.’

The Rockets outshot Saskatoon 35-15, limiting the visitors to just one shot in the final period.

The Rockets, now 6-7-1-0, host Spokane on Saturday, a team that beat them 6-5 in Spokane earlier in the week.

“We are angry. We have work to do,” Mallette said.

“We didn’t play our two best moments against Spokane in Spokane, so our guys definitely want to right that wrong. It’s going to take an effort like tonight and I think if we can do that we’ll be fine.

Photo: Steve Dunsmoor