Tigers 6 – Cougars 4
Monday night in Prince George the Cougars dropped a 6-4 decision to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Chad Butcher had two goals and an assist for the Tigers while David Quenneville and Mason Shaw had two points apiece. Jesse Gabrielle responded with two goals for the Cougars while Joe Carvalho, Brogan O’Brien and Jared Bethune all had two point games for the Cougars who end their three game homestand with four of six possible points.
After one period the Cougars held a 1-0 lead. 4:55 into the opening frame Jesse Gabrielle took a Brogan O’Brien pass, skated into the right circle and lifted a high shot over the left shoulder of Tigers goalie Mack Shields for his 30th of the season. Medicine Hat outshot the Cougars 13-9 in the opening 20 minutes but for a third straight game the Cougars took the lead into the first intermission.
That changed early in the second when Medicine Hat converted on a power play. David Quenneville notched his seventh of the season from the right point on a hard shot that found its way through traffic and past Ty Edmonds to tie the score.
Steven Owre then grabbed the Tigers the lead at 6:47 off a shot off the rush from the left wing, but it only took the Cougars 49 seconds to respond. Once again it was Jesse Gabrielle who was able to one-time a Brogan O’Brien pass directly off a faceoff victory past Shields and in for his 31st. Gabrielle now sits tied atop the WHL league lead in goal scoring with Swift Current Broncos forward Jon Martin.
The game remained tied until the late stages of the second period when Chad Butcher helped move the Tigers ahead for a second (and final time). Cougars netminder Ty Edmonds left his net to try and win the race to a loose puck in the Cougars zone, but Butcher won the race, skated wide and scored into the open net for his 15th goal of the season.
Through two periods the Tigers held a 3-2 lead and a 21-18 shot advantage.
The teams would combine for five goals in the final period, three of which though came courtesy of the visitors. First it was Alex Mowbray who scored unassisted for the Tigers at 6:35, but Joe Carvalho moved the Cougars back within one with a power play goal at 12:01. For the 20-year-old Carvalho it was his first goal in 80 games!
Back came the Tigers though when Matt Bradley knocked home a rebound on a power play at 13:50. Brad Morrison then redirected a puck off of Mack Shields and in from behind the Tigers net at 16:30 to keep the Cougars within striking distance, but Chad Butcher ended all hopes of a comeback with an empty net goal in the final minute of the game to help secure the Tigers 19th victory of the season.
Prince George finished the game one-for-two on the power play which means they have now scored a power play goal in five straight games which is a new season high. The Tigers countered with a two-for-five count on the man advantage.
Former Cougars goaltender Mack Shields grabbed his ninth victory of the season making 29 saves on 33 shots faced while Ty Edmonds dropped his 11th game of the season making 23 saves on 28 shots faced. Now the Cougars head to the Prairies for an 11 day, six game road trip which begins Friday in Swift Current, SK.
