The Kelowna Rockets have been on a roll since the midseason mark of the Western Hockey League and the Kamloops Blazers were their latest victim.

The Blazers were a thorn in their side all season, but the Rockets were able to close the door in six games in the first round of the WHL playoffs on Monday night and they now have their sights set on the Portland WinterHawks.

Cochrane's Dillon Dube, who recently inked a deal with the Calgary Flames, says the Winterhawks can't be underestimated. Like the Rockets, they have been rolling in the second half and proved they're the real deal when they shocked  the B.C. division leading Prince George Cougars in round one.

"We've matched up well against [Portland] but they've been on their tear, too, so it's going to be a pretty good team," says Dube. You can't underestimate them."

For fans, it's going to be an exciting series to follow.

"It's going to be a very tough series and it's going to bring back our rivalry we had for a long time so it's probably going to be one of the best series of the run we've have this year," says Dube.

"I think they're going to try and play run and gun hockey game. They have their defensemen up on the rush all the time no matter what so if we backtrack hard and create turnovers we're going to have a lot of oddman rushes. But we have to stick to the way we play and not fall in to the trap that they're going to have to all four guys up and be turning pucks over."

In the regular season, Kamloops proved to be puzzle the Rockets had to solve in the playoffs. As well, the two teams also squared off in WHL playoffs last year that went seven games and was decided by the Rockets in overtime.

"Kamloops is one of the toughest teams we have to play in the playoffs," says Dube. "They've had our number all year so to be able to beat them in six as awesome. I think we have to keep rolling in Portland."

Fortunately, the Rockets had a strong second half going into the playoffs.

"We went on a really big tear there to get ourselves within one point of first place in the B.C. division. It was great. It was one the best second halfs we've had since I've been here."

Game one of the seven-game series again Portland opens in Kelowna on Friday night. 

 Dube scored four and assisted on two in the Blazers series.In 40 regular season games he had 55 points--20 goals, 35 assist--and was a plus 18.