Memorial Cup: Rockets Palin Comparison

After last night's 4-2 loss to the London Knights, Kelowna finds itself in a deep hole only two games into the Memorial Cup. Captain Brett Palin will have to lead his team back from the brink, while Tyler Spurgeon's work ethic and talent can only help his team's chances. We also take a look at two offensively gifted players from the Rockets' second line: Lauris Darzins and Chris Ray.

Tyler Spurgeon (Edm), C

First line centre, wears an A and plays regularly on special teams .. skilled face-off man .. wins majority of draws and was even able to get a shot towards the goalie .. centres a line with Bodie and Keller and is able to distribute puck into scoring areas to his linemates evenly .. his game complements his linemates .. smart player who positions himself well in the neutral zone .. not an overly fast skater but makes up for it with strong positional play .. more of a playmaker than a scorer but was still second in team goals in the WHL playoffs with 11 .. buys into team concepts and has a strong work ethic .. made nice outlet feed to spring Deschamps on a breakaway for second Kelowna goal.

Lauris Darzins (Nsh), LW

A good skater who is strong and balanced .. first step needs work and has limited breakaway speed .. clever with the puck and has good hockey vision .. made several quality passes throughout the game including centre feed to Howarth, resulting in one of Kelowna's better scoring opportunities in the game .. more of a playmaker though than a passer at this point .. solid array of shots and parks himself in the slot .. has a low crouch and gets a fair bit on his shots .. his ability to go to danger areas, cycle well and his timely release result in substantial PP time .. battles hard down low and protects the puck .. has a nose for the net however he needs to keep attacking the hard areas of the ice .. defensive play needs more commitment .. made a poor line change that resulted in a goal .. has decent size but must work on his overall consistency .. offensive potential is directly related to his commitment.

Chris Ray (Free Agent), C

A hard-working player who plays an honest, clean game .. intense and competes every shift .. too much intensity at times can let him get goaded into taking a bad penalty .. he took a costly four minute penalty against Prust out of frustration .. back-checks furiously and plays all 200 feet of the ice .. size can be an issue at times, but he still has the ability to go into traffic areas and play a somewhat big game .. fast skater with quick feet and strong acceleration .. able to both cycle well and move the puck up efficiently .. relied on heavily to kill penalties thanks to his face-off ability and his fore-checking.

Brett Palin (Free Agent), D

Captain of Rockets and has been a natural leader on defense for years .. extremely reliable player in his own zone .. efficient skater with a modest stride .. passes well and moves the puck out of his zone with low-risk plays .. communicates well with his defensive partner and covers when mistakes happen .. a willing hitter who often removes his man from a play .. has good size and knows how to use it .. can force his man to the outside with his large frame and always makes them pay along the boards .. not a big offensive threat because of his defensive priorities.