STEADY ‘EDDY’

The Prince George Cougars are back in the win column following some goaltending heroics and some timely scoring Friday night. Ty Edmonds stopped 34 of the 35 shots he faced, Jesse Gabrielle struck twice and Tate Olson broke open a 1-1 tie late in the third period to lift the Cougars to their 32^nd victory of the season, a 3-1 ‘W’ over the Red Deer Rebels in front of 3415 strong at CN Centre. Chase Witala and Brogan O’Brien each chipped In with two assists each, while Luke Philp had Red Deer’s only tally. 

After a scoreless first period the Cougars grabbed the game’s first goal at the 8:10 mark of period two when the trio of Brogan O’Brien, Chase Witala and Jesse Gabrielle teamed up for  Gabrielle’s team high 36^th goal of the season. Gabrielle fed Witala the puck behind the Rebels net then alertly, Witala quickly fired a return pass to Gabrielle in front, and Gabrielle let a quick shot go through the legs of young goaltender Dawson Weatherill to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Credit the 16-year-old Weatherill though who ended up playing a strong game stopping 28 of the 30 shots fired his way in his WHL debut. 

At the other end of the ice, Ty Edmonds was superb for the Cougars. Through the first two periods of the game, Edmonds turned aside all 22 shots he faced. His best saves to that point came in the first period when he robbed both Luke Philp and Adam Helewka on a Red Deer power play. Later in the third, Edmonds would make a spectacular lunging glove save off Adam Helewka off a three-on-two rush. The shots were 22-22 through two, but the Cougars held the 1-0 lead. 

Early in the third the Cougars penalty kill was tested when they were forced to kill off a double-minor high sticking penalty. As they’ve done for most of the season, the Cougars penalty-kill stood tall and Ty Edmonds made the necessary saves to keep his team ahead 1-0. The game remained 1-0 until 13:36 of the third period when Rebels captain Luke Philp’s shot from the slot knuckled off a Cougar defender’s stick and past Edmonds for his 16^th goal of the season, and a 1-1 tie.

Just over three minutes later though the Cougars regained their lead when Tate Olson’s point shot deflected off the back-boards behind the Rebels net, then off the right skate of Weatherill and across the line for Olson’s seventh of the season. Jesse Gabrielle then buried an empty net goal at 18:50 of the third to help lift the Cougars to a 3-1 lead and 3-1 victory. Gabrielle finished the night with two goals (36, 37) while his linemates Chase Witala and Brogan O’Brien had two assists apiece. 

With the victory, the Cougars improve their record to 32-22-3-1 which helps the Cougars surpass their win total from a season ago with 14 games still to go in their season. Their 68 points this season also surpasses their total of 67 which they set last season and also moves them six points ahead of Kamloops for third place in the B.C. Division. The power play went zero-for-one but the penalty kill went a perfect four-for-four. Ty Edmonds picked up his 18^th victory of the season and the 66^th victory of his career in goal. 

Now the Cougars will look to complete their fifth home double-header sweep of the season when they welcome the Red Deer Rebels back Saturday for the rematch at the CN Centre.