Cougars – Winterhawks Preview.
It has been two full months and then some since the Prince George Cougars last played a home game on a weekend. Yes. You read that correctly. The last time the Cougars played at home on a weekend was Saturday, November 15th against the Kelowna Rockets. So much has changed since then, and yet so much remains the same. The Prince George Cougars are still right in the thick of a Western Conference playoff race that only seems to get closer and more dramatic with each passing day. Tonight at home, the Cougars will welcome the four-time defending Western Conference champs, the Portland Winterhawks to town for the first of back-to-back games. Tonight’s game also happens to be the third of five feature games this season for the Cougars, which means that an already vastly improved CN Centre atmosphere is going to be rocking even louder tonight.
PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS
Overview:
Jamie Kompon’s Portland Winterhawks come into tonight’s game with a record of 23-19-0-3. Their 49 points currently has them ranked third in the U.S. Division one point back of Spokane for second and two points ahead of the fourth placed Seattle Thunderbirds. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games, and are coming off a 6-2 loss on Wednesday courtesy of the Kamloops Blazers. So far this season the Winterhawks are 0-1 against the Cougars having dropped a 6-3 score to the Cougars back on September 20th, 2014 at the Moda Center in Portland.
Who’s Up Front:
Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Oliver Bjorkstrand comes into tonight’s game leading the Winterhawks in goals with 25 goals and is tied for the team lead in points (48) with Chase De Leo. Bjorkstrand was one of three WHLers last season to reach the 50 goal mark, and the fact that he’s potted 25 goals in just 32 games this season speaks to his skills and his consistency. Bjorkstrand also played a huge role in helping Denmark secure their first ever victory at the World Junior Hockey Championships a few weeks ago. In four games against Prince George last season, Bjorkstrand led all Winterhawks with four goals and 11 points.
Who’s on D:
The Portland Winterhawks blueline sure looks a little different this season without studs like Seth Jones, Derrick Pouliot, Matt Dumba, Tyler Wotherspoon and Troy Rutkowski, but there’s still no shortage of toughness and offensive fire power back there. Leading the way offensively is 19-year-old rearguard Layne Viveiros who with four goals and 24 assists leads all Winterhawk defencemen in scoring. Add the likes of Adam Henry, Josh Hanson, Blake Heinrich and Keoni Texeira and the Winterhawks blueline is more than capable of shutting teams down while providing a nice compliment of offense.
Who’s in Goal:
Currently the Portland Winterhawks net is shared by two 18-year-old rookies: Adin Hill and Evan Johnson. Hill was recently ranked 30th overall in Sportsnet’s latest NHL Draft ranking list. So far in January, Hill has compiled a 4-2 record with two shutouts, a 2.44 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .936. His .929 save percentage is tops in the entire WHL. Evan Johnson was recently acquired by the Winterhawks prior to the trade deadline. His record sits at 5-3-1-1 with a 2.85 goals-against-average and a .894 save percentage.
X-Factor:
Tonight in Prince George will mark the first time that Cougars fans this season will get to see Team Canada’s World Junior workhorse Nic Petan in action. Petan has only played in 27 games this season with the Winterhawks, but has put up an impressive 32 points in that span. The Winnipeg Jets prospect is one of, if not the best playmaker in the Western Hockey League and he has the tremendous ability to make all of his teammates around him better. Last season Petan recorded two goals and eight assists in four games against the Cougars.
PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS
Overview:
Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars come into tonight’s game with a 20-23-1-0 record. Their 41 points currently has them ranked third in the B.C. Division one point ahead of the Vancouver Giants (who have two games in hand) and currently they sit six points back of the second place Victoria Royals. The schedule certainly has not done the Cougars many favors as of late as the Cougars recently completed a stretch of nine games in 16 days, 13 of which were spent on the road. That said, there is no time for excuses. The Cougars are 3-6-1-0 in their last 10 games and tonight they’ll look to get back into the win column and to keep themselves ahead of Vancouver for a top three spot in the B.C. Division.
Who’s Up Front:
Tonight in Prince George, second-year Cougars forward Brad Morrison will dress in his 100th career game. The product of West Kelowna/Prince George, B.C. has really come on in recent months, and has become one of the Cougars most consistent offensive threats. He’s second in the team with 16 goals and fourth on the team with 33 points. In six January games, Morrison has four goals, five assists and is a +3. If the Cougars are going to inch closer to second in the B.C. Division, Morrison will need to continue to provide steady play at both ends of the ice for the Cougars. A big weekend from Morrison and his linemates would go a long way in helping the Cougars to victory tonight and this weekend.
Who’s on D:
Defensively the Cougars should be aided by the (hopeful) return of 19-year-old Kirk Bear. Statistically Bear won’t shoo the lights out offensively, but what he does is help provide a physical and calming influence on an otherwise rather young back-end. A healthy Bear gives the Cougars another veteran defenceman who can log some key minutes against the other team’s top players. The great thing about Bear is that he doesn’t back down from anyone, and I’m sure the coaches and his teammates alike are looking forward to his return tonight.
Who’s in Goal:
All the way back on September 20th in Portland, Ty Edmonds was victorious against the Winterhawks keeping them to just three goals against. This season Edmonds has encountered some highs and lows, but always seems to bring his best against the league’s top teams (eg. Portland, Kelowna, etc). Edmonds is 18-17-1-0 with a a 3.71 goals-against-average and an .884 save percentage. Those numbers are going to have to improve in time if the Cougars are going to make a charge up the standings, and hopefully tonight can be the start of something positive for Edmonds and the Cougars provided he’s the one who gets the nod against Portland.
X-Factor:
Earlier in the article it was noted that this is the first weekend home game for the Cougars in over two months. Add the fact that tonight’s game is one of the five feature games, and you can bet that there will be a rowdy and excited crowd on hand tonight at the CN Centre. How big of a factor can the crowd be? Well for what it’s worth the Cougars are 2-0 during their feature games this season. The Cougars have played an awful lot of road hockey as of late, how nice will it be for them tonight to take the ice and having the Prince George Cougars faithful loudly rooting them on. It means more to the players than you know, and hopefully that type of energy can be a positive for the Cougars as they look for their second straight victory against Portland.
