Overview:
The Calgary Hitmen come into tonight’s game with a record of 17-15-2-1 and they currently hold down the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Calgary has dropped their last three games and are 4-5-1-0 in their last 10 games.
Who’s Up Front:
Leading the charge offensively for Calgary is 19-year-old Kelowna native Cody Sylvester. Sylvester has 37 points so far through 32 games and has already surpassed his point totals from last season. Sylvester has also shown that he is responsible defensively having posted a +11 rating.
Who’s on D:
20-year-old defenceman Collin Bowman has contributed 14 points in 24 games since joining the Hitmen in a trade from the Moose Jaw Warriors. Bowman has eight goals this season which leads all Calgary d-men.
Who’s in Goal:
The Hitmen boast two very capable goaltenders in Brandon Glover (92) and Chris Driedger (94). Glover is 8-7-0-0 with a goals against average of 3.22 and a save percentage of .876. Driedger is 9-7-2-1 with a goals against average of 3.11. His save percentage is .883.
X-Factor:
Given the absence of Victor Rask and Greg Chase, the Calgary Hitmen will have the top pick of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft Jake Virtanen in the lineup for tonight’s game in Prince George. This will be Virtanen’s first taste of Western Hockey League play and no doubt he’ll want to make an immediate impact.
Overview:
The Prince George Cougars head into tonight’s game having dropped their last two games. That being said they are 6-4 in their last 10 overall, and are three points back of Seattle for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Cats are 12-21-0-2 through 35 games this season.
Who’s Up Front:
With the likes of Alex Forsberg, Chase Witala, Jordan Tkatch and Jarrett Fontaine away at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, more of the offensive responsibility is going to fall onto the shoulders of Troy Bourke, Spencer Asuchak and Greg Fraser. Fraser is second in team goal-scoring with 10 goals, but hasn’t scored since his three-point night back on December 7th aganst Portland. With so many key absences, Fraser will be especially key for picking up some of the offensive slack.
Who’s on D:
Defensively the Prince George Cougars remain largely in tact minus Martin Marincin who is playing with Slovakia at the World Juniors. Big minutes will no doubt be given to Dan Gibb, Cody Carlson and Jesse Forsberg and it will be interesting to see whether either Shane Pilling or Reid Jackson are able to suit up. Both defenseman are recovering from injuries sustained before the break. Getting either of those two back in the lineup would be a huge boost for the Cats defensively.
Who’s in Goal:
Drew Owsley has started in 10 straight games for the Cougars and in that span he is 6-4-0-0 with a goals against average of 2.80 and a save percentage of .912. Dean Clark may decide to roll Devon Fordyce, who hasn’t started since November 23rd in Kelowna.
X-Factor:
The Prince George Cougars have shown this season that when they score first and start quickly, they tend to find success. The ultimate x-factor tonight for the Cougars will be a fast, aggressive start.
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