Cougars Split Weekend
Prince George, BC - After fighting back from a 2-0 deficit against one of the stingiest defensive teams in the WHL, the Cougars would drop the second game of a weekend double header with the Spokane Chiefs, falling 5-2 to the reigning Memorial Cup champions Saturday night.
After being shut-out the night earlier by former Chief Kevin Armstrong, the Chiefs would score on their first shot on net. Tyler Johnson was left alone in the high slot and snapped a perfect wrist shot inside the glove hand side goal post behind Armstrong to give Spokane a 1-0 lead. Pretty passing would lead to a second goal in the opening period, as captain Justin McCrae would finish off a feed from Johnson to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes, even though the Cougars out-shot the Chiefs 11-8 in the period.
But the Cougars would cut the lead in half in the second period. Brian Matte, in his second game back with the Cougars after a January shoulder injury, would knock home his 17th goal of the season. Cam Cepek fired a shot that Chief goalie Dustin Tokarski got a piece of, but the lively end boards bounced the puck out the other side with Matte waiting to finish the play. The Cougars trailed 2-1 after 40 minutes and had a 25-18 lead in shots through two periods.
Marek Viedensky, who scored Friday, did so again Saturday, for his 15th goal of the season. Matte and Brett Connolly helped feed Viedensky, who went low on the blocker side of Tokarski to tie the game at 2. But the Chiefs came back to restore the lead three minutes later, when Mitch Wahl fought off a check from behind and sneaked a wrist shot through the legs of Armstrong to make it 3-2 Spokane. The Cougars came very close to scoring the equalizer in the final minute of the third, but Tokarski robbed Jeff Regier point blank with the left pad and Drayson Bowman would score his 43rd goal of the season into an empty net, followed by another empty net goal by Levko Koper to make the final 5-2 for the visitors. Spokane took three of the four meetings between the two clubs this season. The Cougars out-shot the Chiefs for the second straight game, 36-27, but fall to 25-41-0-2 on the season, while the Chiefs improve to 43-22-0-3, but stay a point back of Kelowna for third in the Western Conference. The Cougars were 1-for-4 on the power play Saturday, while the Chiefs went 0-for-3 for the second consecutive night. The Cougars wrap up the home portion of the regular season with an 18-17-0-1 record and will officially meet the Vancouver Giants in the first round of the playoffs.
Tentatively, games 3 and 4 of the Cougars/Giants series will go Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25. As soon as tickets are available, information will be posted on the Cougars website at www.pgcougars.com.
