Preview: Tigers at Cougars (GM #23)
The Prince George Cougars continue their four-game home stand against the Central Division tonight, as they start a midweek double-header against the top team in Alberta, the Medicine Hat Tigers.
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The Cougars are seeking a fourth straight win after taking both games last weekend against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Cougars won convincingly 5-1 Friday, but had to scratch out a 4-3 win Saturday over a very determined Edmonton squad. Tonight isn’t any less challenging, as the Tigers are first in the Central and fourth in the Eastern Conference, and have won five of their last six games entering tonight’s contest.
Big news Tuesday, was the Cougars announcing their leadership group for the remainder of the 2017-18 season. Dennis Cholowski was named the 23rd captain in Cougars history, and Josh Anderson and Brogan O’Brien were named alternate Captains. Full Story
Back to the ice, and newly anointed captain Dennis Cholowski and the Cougars look to continue their streak against the Central Division. Coming into tonight, the Cougars are undefeated in regulation in six games against Albertan opponents, sporting a 4-0-0-2 record; they’re 3-0-0-0 at home. That is by far, the Cougars best record against any of the other three divisions in the WHL. At home against the Central Division, the Cougars have outscored their Alberta adverseries 16-5.
Prince George is looking to get over the 500 mark for the first time this season and they won’t be making any changes to their line up by the sounds of it. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? If that’s the case, Tavin Grant will be back in net and he just picked up his seventh win on Saturday. Grant owns a 2.89 goals-against average and sports a .911 save percentage.
Brogan O’Brien and Ethan O’Rourke are on a bit of a tear coming into tonight’s game. O’Brien has scored four goals in his last three games and O’Rourke has scored three since last Wednesday’s win in Kamloops; he had just the one in the previous 18 games. It’s great to see the Cougars get depth scoring on their run.
Medicine Hat is embarking on a 4-game road trip through the BC Division, making stops in Kamloops and Kelowna on Friday and Saturday before returning home. The Tigers have yet to play anyone from the BC Division and they’re 3-4-0-0 on the road this season; they’ve lost three of their last five road games.
*Knocks on wood.*
The Cougars have a full compliment, something they haven’t said since early October. Since Josh Anderson and Liam Ryan have returned from injury, the Cougars are 2-0. Anderson is a plus three in his first two games back and picked up an assist on Saturday night. He’s also been a fixture on the penalty-kill and looked very comfortable in a shutdown role.
The Tigers can’t say the same, as they’ve been without one of their top scorers all season in Mason Shaw. The Minnesota Wild draft pick hasn’t played one game yet, as he’s still recovering from a lower-body injury. Last year Shaw had 27 goals and 94 points in 71 games. Those numbers were second behind Chad Butcher and he finished eighth in WHL scoring. Shaw’s absence is a big hole but the Tigers have managed to patch it up through 20 games.
One of those players that has stepped up to fill the void left by Shaw’s injury is 20-year-old Mark Rassell. This year, Rassell already has 21 goals in 20 games which is third-best in the WHL. Last year Rassell had 36 goals in and 60 points in 72 games. He’s already halfway to his point total from one season ago and is just at the quarter-mark of the season.
Another key piece to this organization is on the blue-line. 19-year-old David Quenneville is second in team scoring and is fifth in WHL scoring among defencemen, with six goals and 24 points through 19 games. Quenneville, like Cholowski, played for Team WHL at the CIBC Canada – Russia Series in Moose Jaw and Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The blue-liner was drafted by the New York Islanders in the seventh round in the 2016 draft. Quenneville has represented Canada Internationally, at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the World Under-18 Hockey Championship and the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He now has his sights on a spot with Team Canada’s World Junior squad. Quenneville is a threat from the blue-line and someone the Cougars will have to keep close tabs on.
Medicine Hat have two capable puck-stoppers in Michael Bullion and Jordan Hollett. They’ve pretty much split the first 20 games but Hollett has been in net for five of their last seven; the two have split the last three however. Hollett is a sixth round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 NHL Draft. Bullion’s and Hollett’s numbers aren’t eye-popping but both have gotten the job done to this point.
