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Rockets look to fly right against Hitmen

Âé¶¹AV tries to bounce back from two home-ice WHL losses Wednesday against Calgary
Portland Winterhawks v Âé¶¹AV Rockets
Kyle Topping and the Âé¶¹AV Rockets will host the Calgary Hitmen tonight in WHL action at Prospera Place.
Five losses in six games ·É²¹²õ²Ô’t at all how the had planned on closing out the month of January. Jason ³§³¾¾±³Ù³ó’s club will be looking to establish a new trend beginning tonight at home against the Calgary Hitmen. Face-off at Prospera Place is 7:05 p.m. The Rockets are coming off back-to-back Western Hockey League losses at home last weekend, including a deflating 5-4 defeat Saturday night at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks. Âé¶¹AV surrendered a 4-1 lead, with Portland netting the game winner with just 3.8 seconds remaining in the third period. The Rockets head coach said a troubling tendency that has crept into his ³¦±ô³Ü²ú’s games over the last couple weeks has to be rectified. “W±ð’v±ð talked about the structure and detail we need to play with and how ·É±ð’v±ð swayed away from that the last little ·É³ó¾±±ô±ð,†said Smith. “O±¹±ð°ù the last bunch of games ·É±ð’v±ð gotten away from playing complete games and ³Ù³ó²¹³Ù’s cost us. “W±ð need get back to playing simple, smart ³ó´Ç³¦°ì±ð²â.†An element of smart hockey Smith is referring to is the ¸é´Ç³¦°ì±ð³Ù²õ’ propensity for undisciplined penalties. Âé¶¹AV has yielded nine power play goals on 37 chances over the six-game stretch (1-4-1-0). Due to the recent swoon, the Rockets have also slid in the B.C. Division standings. Âé¶¹AV (27-19-4-0) is now fourth in the division, four points back of third-place Victoria and seven back of second-place Kamloops. Defenceman Cal Foote and forward Kole Lind are both expected back in the ³¦±ô³Ü²ú’s lineup tonight against the Hitmen. The Âé¶¹AV teammates were in Quebec City Monday night to play in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Forward Carsen Twarynski is also close to a return for the Rockets after sitting out the last two games with an illness. This weekend, the Rockets will be on the road for two games, Friday and Saturday nights, against the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars. The Cougars (36-14-3-0), who share the °Â±á³¢â€™s overall lead with the Regina Pats, are 3-0-0 against Âé¶¹AV this season.