Cougars - Americans Preview

The Prince George Cougars return to the friendly confines of CN Centre Friday night for their first of four meetings with the Tri City Americans. Last season these teams split their four-game set.

TRI CITY AMERICANS

Overview:

Jim Hiller’s Tri City Americans are 8-4 on the season and currently hold a three point lead on the Portland Winterhawks for first in the US Division. The Americans are coming off a victory at home against the Saskatoon Blades.

Who’s Up Front:

20-year-old Adam Hughesman is tied for the league lead in scoring with 23 points through 12 games. Hughesman’s 11 goals falls short of only Emerson Etem for the league lead. Hughesman needs to be contained, and the way the Cougars do that is through strong and disciplined defence.

Who’s on D:

18-year-old D-Man Zackary Yuen leads all Tri City defenders with nine points through 12 games. Yuen has scored three times, and also sits at a +7 for the season so far.

Who’s in Goal:

An interesting decision for coach Jim Hiller to make. Does he start the former Prince George Cougar Ty Rimmer? Or will he elect to go with 16-year-old Eric Comrie? Rimmer of course was dealt to Tri City this summer in exchange for goaltender Drew Owsley. Owsley may not have been dealt had it not been for the fact that Tri City had Eric Comrie waiting in the wings. So far Rimmer holds the edge with a 6-2 receord and a Goals Against of 1.78 and a save percentage of .945.

X-Factor:

20-year-old forward Brendan Shinnimin’s numbers aren’t quite as flashy as Hughesman’s, but make no mistake – Shinnimin can do a lot of damage if he’s given enough time and space to do so. Shinnimin had 96 points in 60 games last season.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Having dropped three in a row, the Prince George Cougars are looking to get back on track on home ice. It won’t be easy against Tri City, but the Cougars will have plenty of motivation heading into this weekend.

Who’s Up Front:

19-year-old forward Campbell Elynuik makes his Cats debut up front this weekend. The 6’4 forward was acquired to add some size and jam up front. That being said, Elynuik can skate, and has some un-tapped offensive potential that the Cougars are hoping shines this season up North. If Elynuik can play the body, and endear himself early to his new fan-base, he’ll have no trouble fitting in with the Cougars.

Who’s on D:

This weekend also marks the debut of 18-year-old defenceman Reid Jackson. The former Lethbridge Hurricane is a strong puck-mover and should be an asset to the Cougars power play which has been streaky to start the season. The addition of Jackson only adds further depth to a defensive-group that should look pretty strong with the potential return of captain Jesse Forsberg this weekend as well. The additions of Jackson and Forsberg makes this team instantly better.

Who’s in Goal:

The one common denominator in all three Cougar victories this season has been the stellar play of Drew Owsley. Owsley will no doubt want to be at his best when he squares off against his former team for the first time. If the Cougars can supply some offense, I’d expect Drew Owsley to be in top form this weekend.

X-Factor:

The Prince George Cougars need to find a way to get the crowd into the game. Having played eight of their first 10 games on the road, a home game almost seems like a foreign concept. The Cougars need to take the body, shoot the puck lots and stay within themselves defensively. If they can do these things at home, they’ll be right there with the Tri City Americans. A successful weekend at home should do wonders for this team’s confidence as they head to Vancouver and Kelowna this coming week.