By Adrian Nieoczym – Hockey Now

After a challenging season that featured several sputtering stretches, the Kelowna Rockets appear to have gelled just in time for the playoffs.

The Rockets followed up a mediocre January by going 11-2-0-1 in February and starting March with four wins in a row. They beat the WHL’s top team, the Calgary Hitmen, 2-1 and won their last three regular season tilts against the mighty Vancouver Giants.

And while much of the change can be credited to the arrival of trade deadline acquisitions like goalie Mark Guggenberger and forward Mikael Backlund, the charge into the post-season is being led by the core players around whom the team has been built.