Hitmen lose wild one to Rockets in Kelowna, 7-6

Oliver Tulk scored a goal and added three assists for the Calgary Hitmen, who lost to Kelowna 7-6 Saturday night. (Photo: X@WHLHitmen)

Calgary’s power play was firing on all cylinders Saturday night, but the Hitmen still fell short, dropping a 7-6 decision to the Kelowna Rockets.

The two teams combined to score a half-dozen power play goals, with each side registering three.

Calgary bounced back after Kelowna got on the board first with a power play goal by Andrew Cristal to take a 1-0 lead. The Hitmen followed up with three straight power play goals, by Sean Tschigerl, followed in the second period by Tyson Galloway and Chase Valliant.

Kelowna bounced back with three of its own to go up 4-3, on goals by Andrew Cristall (his second), Michael Cicek and Hiroki Gojcik.

Aleksey Chichkin scored his first career WHL goal to tie it at four before Gabriel Szturc scored to give Kelowna a 5-4 lead at the end of the second.

In the third, the Hitmen tied it at five when Ethan Moore scored. Szturc added his second for the Rockets to give them a 6-5 lead, but Oliver Tulk scored his 21^st goal of the season to tie it at six. Cristall scored his third of the night which provided the margin of victory for Kelowna.

Tulk led the Hitmen with a goal and three assists, while Galloway had a goal and two assists. The power play was three for three.

It was the second consecutive loss for the Hitmen on their B.C. road trip after dropping a 3-2 game to Prince George Friday night.

Next up for the Hitmen is a New Year’s Day matinee in Victoria against the Royals. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. MST. The club returns to the Saddledome next Sunday at 2 p.m., when they take on the Edmonton Oil Kings.