MUSKEGON - At the end of last season, the Reeths-Puffer hockey team looked back and laughed about its 0-2 start, because the Rockets had no trouble turning things around and finishing with a sparkling 19-6-1 record.
The 2023-24 Rockets are counting on the same scenario playing itself out after Friday’s rather ugly 7-4 loss to Plymouth at Trinity Health Arena dropped their record to 1-2.
The loss followed a 4-2 road loss road West Ottawa on Wednesday.
Penalties were a major factor in both defeats. The Rockets were whistled for six infractions on Friday, including two five-minute major penalties that both led to Plymouth goals.
R-P also had some spotty defense, giving up an unofficial total of 28 shots on goal. The offense also took some time to get untracked, managing only three shots in the first period and seven in the second, before unleashing nine in the third period and scoring three goals.
R-P's Jaxon Stone (13) moves up the ice with the puck. Photo/Joe Lane
Two Rockets had strong games offensively, with Jaxon Stone scoring twice and Tyler Tindall finishing with one goal and two assists.
Despite the rough game, which featured a lot of hard hits, flaring tempers and penalties for both teams, first-year R-P Coach Dustin Langlois was not concerned.
He noted that his team had a two-week layoff between its season opener and this week’s games, and said the players are still getting used to their new coaches and a new system.
Langlois also knows that there’s little time to worry about the unfortunate outcome, because the Rockets have to turn around and play a road game against Hudsonville on Saturday afternoon.
“No concerns at all,” Langlois said. “These guys are still learning new systems and our way of doing things, and that’s going to take some time. We’re still kicking the rust off a little bit, that’s the reason why there are 25 games.”
R-P's Buckey Aney (12) lays a hard check on a Plymouth player. Photo/Joe Lane
The coach admitted that penalties have been a problem and said the Rockets need to play smarter hockey.
“It’s not just the penalties, but the silly ones, the ones you don’t have to take,” he said. “Those are going to kill us. We have to be more disciplined.”
The Rockets did not play well in the first period. They were outshot 6-3 and trailed 2-0 headed into the second.
Plymouth opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal by Brayden Irvin about five minutes into the game, then added another from Jackson Warzecha with 8:25 left on the clock.
Plymouth went up 3-0 early in the second period when Warzecha scored with one second left on R-P’s first five-minute major penalty.
Jaxon Stone (13) works the puck off the boards in front of a Plymouth player. Photo/Joe Lane
The Wildcats’ Ryan Belanger made it 4-0 with another power play goal with 11:31 left in the second period.
Reeths-Puffer finally got on the scoreboard with 3:10 left in the second with a goal by Stone, which was assisted by Tyler Tindall.
Plymouth led 4-1 heading in the third period.
The Wildcats erased any doubt about the outcome by scoring the first three goals of the final period, with Warzecha completing a hat trick, James Romps scoring and Matt LeClair finding the net.
The Rockets picked up their offensive attack in the final eight minutes of the game and scored the last three goals.
The Rockets celebrate a goal. Photo/Joe Lane
Klint Croix led things off with an unassisted goal, Stone scored his second goal with another assist from Tindall, then Tindall collected a goal of his own, with assists from Connor Stawski and Tyler Cuti.
“We started out flat, we didn’t stick to the play, we didn’t do anything we talked about, then through the second period we started playing better, then in the third we started playing our brand of hockey,” Langlois said.
