Rockets fall in overtime

The margin was razor-thin.

For the second straight game at the Memorial Cup, the host Kelowna Rockets were within reach of a victory. But for the second straight game, they came away empty-handed.

A 3-2 overtime loss to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Sunday night dropped the Rockets to 0-and-2 at the tournament and left them facing a simple reality: beat the Everett Silvertips on Wednesday or their season is over.

“We just have to win one hockey game,” Rockets assistant coach Brandon McMillan said afterward. “That’s the mindset we have to take for the next few days.”

The Rockets looked far more comfortable than they did in Friday’s opening loss. They were sharper with the puck, generated more sustained pressure, and matched Chicoutimi stride for stride in a tightly played game.

“I thought we had a good game tonight,” McMillan said. “You could tell we were a little crisper with the puck. A few more plays were being made. That was a tight hockey game, a matter of inches out there.”

Kelowna never led, but they refused to go away.

Tij Iginla opened the scoring for the Rockets, converting after strong work below the goal line from Hiroki Gojsic, who had been promoted onto Iginla’s line for Game 2.

McMillan praised Gojsic’s impact.

“When he uses his body, and he uses his strength, and he uses his feet, he’s very dangerous down low,” McMillan said. “He was obviously a key to Iginla’s goal.”

After Chicoutimi regained the lead late in regulation, the Rockets found another answer.

With time winding down, Mazden Leslie delivered a clutch goal to tie the game 2-2 and force overtime, continuing a season-long trend of resilience.

“There’s no quit in our group,” McMillan said. “There’s a lot of pride in that dressing room.”

That resilience was also evident in the net.

In one of the night’s biggest surprises, goaltender Josh Banini got the start instead of Harrison Boettiger. Banini rewarded the coaching staff’s confidence with a strong performance, making several key saves and giving his team every opportunity to win.

“He had a great night tonight,” McMillan said. “He made a lot of big saves. I’m super proud of him.”

The Rockets also neutralized one of the tournament’s most dangerous weapons. Chicoutimi entered the game with a highly regarded power play, but Kelowna’s penalty kill was outstanding, including a crucial late kill in the third period.

“We had some really good sticks. We were getting in shooting lanes,” McMillan said. “Guys really stepped up and took that challenge.”

But once the game reached three-on-three overtime, the Rockets rarely touched the puck.

Chicoutimi controlled possession almost entirely, repeatedly regrouping in its own zone when no lane opened up. The long-change format allowed the Saguenéens to stay patient, wear down defenders, and maintain possession until they scored the winner 5:28 into overtime.

“They got the faceoff, got the puck, and it seemed like they had it for the full five-and-a-half minutes,” McMillan said.

The defeat stings because it was so close.

Unlike Friday’s opener, they looked like a team capable of winning against elite competition.

Now they must prove it.

Wednesday’s matchup against Everett will be familiar territory. The Rockets and Silvertips battled through a memorable Western Conference playoff series, and their last two meetings have both required overtime.

McMillan reminded his players that Memorial Cup history is full of teams that looked finished before finding another life.

“We’re not out of this tournament yet,” he said. “There’s a chance for us on Wednesday to do something great.”

For Kelowna, there is no longer any margin for error.

The path is difficult. The math is simple.

One game remains. Win it, and the dream stays alive.

Lose, and the season ends.