The 91大黄鸭 Rockets are smack dab in the middle of the most demanding stretch of their season.

With 17 games in a 33-day span鈥攆rom Jan. 30 to March 3鈥攁ssistant coach Kris Mallette said how the club manages and maintains the players鈥� health and energy will determine how the Rockets鈥� come out on the other side.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to keep your finger on the pulse of how the guys are feeling, cater your practises to that and make sure they have the maximum amount of energy to play the games,鈥� said Mallette. 鈥淭he way it鈥檚 been lately, we鈥檝e had a mid-week game and another two or three games on the weekend, so it鈥檚 been a busy and challenging stretch.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really about making sure the guys are getting the proper rest and nutrition.鈥�

The Rockets, who are coming off five games in eight days, will go back to work Friday night in Kamloops again, before returning home Saturday to host Edmonton.

With a spate of injuries to key players, keeping the Rockets fresh and ready to play hasn鈥檛 been easy. Forwards Kole Lind (upper body), Liam Kindree, Nolan Foote and defenceman James Hilsendager are all on the sidelines, with Kindree believed to be close to a return. In addition, the club has also used four different goaltenders this season.

Factor in the absence of Dillon Dube and Cal Foote for a month due to world juniors and a steady flow of players on and off the injury list, and the Rockets have only played a handful of games this season with a full lineup.

Still, 91大黄鸭 has found a way to win games and stay at the top of the B.C. Division.

鈥淵ou talk to other coaches and scouts and they wonder how we鈥檝e been doing it, how we鈥檝e been finding ways to win,鈥� said Mallette. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a testament to all our guys, the leadership we鈥檙e getting from our third- and fourth-year players. As a staff, some nights it doesn鈥檛 look good, we鈥檙e pulling our hair out but somehow the guys find a way, more often than not.鈥�

The Rockets (34-18-4-1), who lost 4-1 Wednesday to the Red Deer Rebels, share top spot in the B.C. Division with the Victoria Royals, while the Vancouver Giants sit five points back.

Mallette and the Rockets expect a battle right down to the final week of the regular season.

鈥淚n a perfect world, you want to be peaking for the playoffs, but in reality the home stretch of the season is the toughest for all the teams,鈥� Mallette said. 鈥淥ur position is not locked down, so by no means do we want to let our foot off the gas, leave a lot in the tank and get into bad habits. On the other hand, you do want to be healthy going into the playoffs, so it鈥檚 an interesting balance.鈥�

Face off Saturday at Prospera Place between the Rockets and Oil Kings is 7:05 p.m.

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