Cougars - Winterhawks Preview.

After two weeks and five games on the road, the Prince George Cougars return to CN Centre tonight for the first of two consecutive games with the Portland Winterhawks. Last season the Cougars were winless in four games with Portland. The Cats though have won three of their last four overall and head into tonight just three points back of Seattle for eighth in the Western Conference.



Overview:

Mike Johnston’s Portland Winterhawks are 19-9-1-1 through 30 games and are currently ranked second in the US division behind only the Tri City Americans. The Winterhawks are 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games, and have won four in a row.

Who’s Up Front:

The Portland Winterhawks have many explosive players up front, but none more explosive than St. Louis Blues prospect Ty Rattie. Rattie has 28 goals in 29 games this season and has tallied 55 points on the season. Rattie was named the Husky WHL Player of the Month for November.

Who’s on D:

Defensively the Winterhawks are led by two very promising players. 18-year-old Joseph Morrow and 17-year-old Derrick Pouliot. Morrow has 26 points through 24 games and is fourth in the Western Hockey League for points among defenceman. Of Morrow’s 26 points, nine of them are goals.

Who’s in Goal:

In goal the Winterhawks are led by 19-year-old Mac Carruth. Carruth has played in 28 games this season and has posted a record of 18-8-1-0. Carruth has a save percentage of .907 and a goals against of 2.86. Carruth is backed up by 16-year-old Brendan Burke.

X-Factor:

While Ty Rattie’s 55 points in 28 games is an impressive stat, one can’t overlook the numbers that 19-year-old forward Sven Bartschi has put up. In just 21 games, Bartschi has tallied 12 goals and 37 assists for 49 points.



Overview:

Dean Clark’s team has won three of their last four games and are 3-6-0-1 in their last 10 games overall. The Cougars were winners in their last game – A 3-2 victory against the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday.

Who’s Up Front:

The Prince George Cougars will once again look to the trio of Troy Bourke, Alex Forsberg and Spencer Asuchak to lead the way offensively tonight. Bourke has registered six points in his last five games, while Alex Forsberg is coming off a two-goal night in Kelowna Saturday. These three are continuing to find success together, and they’ll need to do their best to equal if not better the output put forth by Portland’s top scorers.

Who’s on D:

The Prince George Cougars have proven this season that they can keep top scorers in check. Keep in mind that the Tri City Americans (top team in the US division) scored a total of two goals in two games earlier this season in Prince George. The Cougars will need a similar performance defensively from everybody. The Cougars will need to minimize the Winterhawks opportunities. They’ve done it before, and are certainly capable of doing so again.

Who’s in Goal:

The Prince George Cougars have a wild-card up their sleeve, and the wild card is Drew Owsley. Owsley is no stranger to the Portland Winterhawks, and has a career record of 11-2-1-0 against them. If the Prince George Cougars are going to beat Portland, Drew Owsley is going to be a huge piece of the puzzle. He’s done it before, and could very well do so again tonight and tomorrow provided he gets the right kind of help.

X-Factor:

The Cougars have won three of their last four games. A common trend in those three victories was an early goal. When the Cougars score first they are 8-4-0-1 on the season. The Cougars will certainly have their hands full this week with Portland, but they can make life much easier on themselves by scoring first and getting some confidence going.