Overview:
Mark Ferner’s Everett Silvertips come into tonight’s game with a record of 11-30-1-8 through 50 games this season. The Silvertips are 4-5-0-1 in their last 10 games and are one point back of Prince George for ninth in the Western Conference.
Who’s Up Front:
Leading the way offensively for Everett is 20-year-old forward Josh Birkolz. Birkholz has scored 22 goals and has 42 points to lead all Silvertips in scoring. Birkolz had the game winner last night for the Silvertips after he zig-zagged his way through the defense and roofed one for the third Everett goal of the night.
Who’s on D:
Import defenceman Dominik Bittner was the hero for Everett in last night’s game scoring twice (the first two goals). The two goals from Bittner were his first two ever in the Western Hockey League. Bittner also played well in his own zone, and made few (if any) mistakes against the Cougars. The Cougars will hope to silence Bittner and the rest of the Silvertips d-core tonight.
Who’s in Goal:
The Everett Silvertips got a strong outing from 19-year-old Kent Simpson. Simpson faced 36 shots and made 34 saves for the victory. Simpson was tested often in the third period and stood tall for his team when the score was 4-2. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick is now 1-1-0-0 this season in two starts against Prince George.
X-Factor:
It was the first time that the Prince George Cougars have faced Everett with a healthy Ryan Murray, and the future first-rounder did not disappoint last night. He moved the puck extremely well and was a calming influence on the back-end for his team. The Cougars did a good job keeping Murray in check offensively, and they’ll need to do so again tonight to be successful.
Overview:
Dean Clark’s team did not get much help last night from either Kamloops or Kelowna, so tonight they’ll need to help themselves. The Cougars have lost four games in a row, and are only 2-8-0-0 in their last 10 games. The young Cougars are battling a ton of injuries at the moment, and it’s important for them to not get too down about their current situation. The Cougars are a minor winning streak away from getting right back into the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Who’s Up Front:
20-year-old forward Spencer Asuchak was terrific for the Cougars in last night’s game. Asuchak scored both Cougars goals, and now has five goals this season against Everett. Asuchak now leads the Cougars outright with 12 goals on the season. Tonight will be a big night for Asuchak as it is his 200th career game in the WHL. Another strong night from Asuchak and his linemates will go a long way for the Cougars.
Who’ on D:
Defensively the Cougars will need to greatly rely on their veterans in tonight’s game. With Dan Gibb’s status up in the air for the foreseeable future, even more ice-time will likely be given to Cody Carlson, Jesse Forsberg and Ricard Blidstrand. The Cougars will need the likes of Michael Mylchreest, Linden Springer and Marc McNulty to play big minutes as well. The Cougars will need all of their defenceman one-through-six to be responsible and disciplined tonight.
Who’s in Goal:
Drew Owsley stopped 32 of 36 shots in last night’s game and was strong when called upon, but tonight maybe more than ever, the Cougars are going to need their goaltender (be it Owsley or Devon Fordyce) to help steal a victory.
X-Factor:
The Prince George Cougars played a strong first 10 minutes, and an excellent final 20 in last night’s game. But the big X-Factor tonight is to put it all together for a full 60 minutes. The Cougars could greatly help their playoff cause and their confidence cause with a victory tonight against Everett before an important road-swing to Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday. Consistency is the ultimate key for tonight’s game.
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