Overview:
The Kelowna Rockets come into tonight’s game 12 points ahead of Victoria for sixth in the Western Conference. The Rockets trail Vancouver by 11 points in the race for fifth place in the Western Conference. Kelowna is 23-23-2-4 and are 6-3-0-1 in their last 10 games.
Who’s Up Front:
When the Rockets needed a big goal last night, Shane McColgan was there. The 18-year-old forward leads the Rockets in scoring with 50 points in 51 games, and his 14th of the year last night proved to be the game winner. McColgan skates very well, and is tough to knock off the puck.
Who’s on D:
17-year-old Damon Severson recently represented the Rockets at the CHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna and last night he showed why he belonged there. It was Severson’s pass from the left-point to the right-wing that led to McColgan’s game winner. Severson has 23 points in the season and is only two back of Myles Bell for the team lead in scoring for defencemen.
Who’s in Goal:
The Prince George Cougars have seen Adam Brown an awful lot this season already, and Brown has been very difficult to solve through the past six games. Brown stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced in last night’s game and many of them were tough stops to make. If Brown gets the nod again tonight it will be the seventh start of the season for him against Prince George. His backup is also very capable. Jordan Cooke comes into tonight’s game with a 6-5-2-2 record and a saver percentage of .915.
X-Factor:
The Kelowna Rockets can thank their penalty-kill for some of last night’s success. The Rockets held the Cougars scoreless on five power play attempts and did a great job (especially late) at limiting the Cougars opportunities. Tonight discipline and defence will be two keys for the Rockets success.
Overview:
The Prince George Cougars are heading into their fourth game in five nights, and are looking to split those four games with a victory tonight. The Cougars are 3-7-0-0 in their last 10 games, and did not lose any ground on the eighth placed Seattle Thunderbirds last night. Two points tonight would help the Cougars confidence as they head into next week with two matchups lined up with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Who’s Up Front:
Spencer Asuchak is playing some of his best hockey as of late. The 20-year-old had the lone goal for Prince George in last night’s game, and now leads the team with 14 on the year. Asuchak is skating well, using his body to create plays and looked strong through all three periods of last night’s game with the Rockets.
Who’s on D:
Even without the services of Dan Gibb and Reid Jackson, the defense for the Cougars last night was strong and made very few mistakes. Cody Carlson, Jesse Forsberg and Ricard Blidstrand logged a ton of ice-time and led the charge in a big way for Prince George. Cody Carlson leads the Cougars with 30 points from the back-end, and is the only Cougar to have played in all 51 games so far this season. I expect another similar effort from Carlson and his fellow defencemen tonight.
Who’s in Goal:
Devon Fordyce got the call in last night’s game and played well. Admittedly he might want the first goal back, but Fordyce did not seem to let that one weigh him down. He was square to the puck, made some nice gloves saves and was not shy about playing the puck as well. These are all encouraging signs for the Cougars who may need to rely on Fordyce once again tonight depending on the status of Drew Owsley. Devon Fordyce is 1-6-0-1 on the season with an .861 save percentage.
X-Factor:
The Prince George Cougars are two-for-thirty this season on the power play against Kelowna. The Rockets have not been shy about taking penalties, and tonight the Cougars will need to try and find a way to convert when they have the extra man. The Cougars need to be commended for how disciplined they have been against the Rockets, and tonight if they can find a way to capitalize on their power play, they’re going to have a great shot at winning tonight’s game.
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