Overview:
The Kamloops Blazers continue to roll. They are 12-4 and currently hold the top spot in the BC Division with 22 points. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have scored 67 times through 16 games this season.
Who’s Up Front:
17-year-old Tim Bozon was a big-time threat for Kamloops last night. Bozon struck twice and the puck at time seemed like a magnet on his stick. Bozon had a lot of help from linemates Colin Smith and JC Lipon, but his two goals really helped pave the way for Kamloops in their victory.
Who’s on D:
Defensively the Cougars were strong one-through-six in last night’s game. One of the most impressive d-man though was 20-year-old Josh Caron. Caron only has four points this season, but is a +9 and is as tough as they come. He had a spirited fight with Campbell Elynuik, and logged some key minutes for Guy Charron when the game was close.
Who’s in Goal:
Goaltender Cole Cheveldave has now had two strong outings in a row against the Prince George Cougars. Cheveldave stopped 35 of 36 shots he faced in last night’s game, and came up big for his team in the first period when Kamloops were under siege. Guy Charron may elect to go back with Cheveldave tonight, or may decide to give Cam Lanigan the start. Lanigan has won five games this season while Chevedave has won six.
X-Factor:
The Blazers showed last night that if they go on the power play they are lethal. They moved the puck around very quickly, and seemed to have a different look every time they were out there. The Cougars will need to minimize the Blazers’ opportunities on the power play and do their best to win the special-teams war.
Overview:
The Prince George Cougars were marvelous through the first half of last night's game, but had the wind taken out of their sails after the Blazers' second goal. The Cougars are still a little snake-bitten offensively and are only averaging two goals per game through 17 games this season. Tonight could very well be the night that they break out offensively given the number of quality chances they seem to be getting on a regular basis.
Who’s Up Front:
The most consistent trio of forwards last night were Jake Mykitiuk, Caleb Belter and Campbell Elynuik. While it’s great to see those three contributing offensively, they are not necessarily the players looked upon to produce consistent offense. The Cougars will need a similar outing tonight from Mykitiuk, Belter and Elynuik, but also need the other three lines to match the intensity of the aforementioned trio. The Cougars are going to need to find a way to score more goals because winning 1-0 and 2-1 most nights is very difficult to do in the WHL.
Who’s on D:
Martin Marincin returns to the lineup tonight after serving a four-game suspension that he received October 25th in Vancouver. This is great news for Dean Clark who now has a full 25-man roster to choose from when it comes to tonight’s lineup. Marincin’s eight points have him tied for third in team scoring.
Who’s in Goal:
Drew Owsley didn’t get a ton of help or luck in last night’s loss to Kamloops. Dean Clark has every reason to go back with Owsley tonight, who has shown throughout the season that he’s able to bounce back from less-than-stellar outings. That being said, Devon Fordyce is waiting in the wings, and could be in line to get the call against Kamloops. Either way, the goaltender tonight will need to be big, and make all of the easy stops, and maybe one or two that most goalies shouldn’t make. When a team is struggling to score goals, the onus is even more on the goaltender to rise up and make big saves.
X-Factor:
Troy Bourke played center in last night’s game and I thought he performed very well. He was good on face-offs and did a good job down low with the puck. Bourke hasn’t scored a goal since October 12th in Swift Current, and could be due to break out offensively in tonight’s game with Kamloops.
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