Overview:
The Portland Winterhawks come into this afternoon’s game riding the longest active winning streak in the WHL. Portland has won six games in a row and are 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games overall. The Winterhawks are coming off an 11-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Who’s Up Front:
The Portland Winterhawks boast two of the league’s premiere forwards in Ty Rattie and Sven Bartschi. Rattie heads into this afternoon’s game with 48 goals and 49 assists for 97 points in 55 games. Bartschi has put up 78 points in 39 games. These two are as lethal as it gets in the Western Hockey League, and the Cougars are going to need to be mindful of them each time they take the ice.
Who’s on D:
Defensively the Winterhawks are very well rounded and have multiple offensive weapons from the back end. Leading the way is Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Joe Morrow. Morrow has 49 points in 49 games for Portland including seven goals on the power play. Add the likes of Troy Rutkowski, Derrick Pouliot and Tyler Wotherspoon, and the Winterhawks’ blueline rivals any in the league as far as depth and talent.
Who’s in Goal:
The Portland Winterhawks undisputed number one goaltender is Mac Carruth. So far this season the Chicago Blackhawks draft pick has posted 36 victories with a goals against of 2.92 and a save percentage of .907. His backup is Brendan Burke who holds a record of 4-2-1-1 this season.
X-Factor:
Heading into tonight’s game the Portland Winterhawks power play is ranked second in the Western Hockey League with a success rate of 28.5 percent. 24 of Ty Rattie’s 48 goals have come with the man advantage. Keeping the Winterhawks off of the power play will be a big factor for the Cougars this afternoon.
Overview:
The Prince George Cougars are coming into this afternoon’s game having won three of their last five, and are 4-6-0-0 in their last 10 games. The Cougars defeated the Victoria Royals 3-1 on Saturday night, and are now just two points back of the seventh placed Seattle Thunderbirds. The Cougars overall record is 19-36-0-2.
Who’s Up Front:
Caleb Belter has goals in back-to-back games for the Prince George Cougars and is now sitting at nine points on the season. Since returning from injury Caleb Belter has been very productive and consistent for the Cougars. Saturday night the trio of Caleb Belter, Campbell Elynuik and Greg Fraser were very effective against the Royals, and the Cougars are no doubt hoping for more of the same this afternoon.
Who’s on D:
Ricard Blidstrand has very quietly put together a three-game point streak for the Cougars. Blidstrand has been a solid addition to the Cougars lineup since joining them on January 10th. Blidstrand and his fellow blueliners were praised for how simple and effective they were on Saturday, and a similar performance would bode very well for the Cougars this week against the Winterhawks.
Who’s in Goal:
One player who is very familiar with Portland is Drew Owsley. Over the course of his WHL career, Drew Owsley is 11-3-0-1. Owsley made 39 saves off of 42 shots faced when the Cougars and Winterhawks last squared off on December 7th in Prince George. The Cougars won that night 4-3 in overtime.
X-Factor:
Discipline will be a major key for the Cougars this week against Portland. If the Cougars can keep the Winterhawks five-on-five they give themselves a much better chance at finding success. The Cougars would also greatly benefit from scoring the first goal. They’ve scored the first goal in three consecutive games, and have won two of them.
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