Overview:
The Seattle Thunderbirds head into tonight’s game with a 2-8-0-0 record in their last 10 games. Steve Konowalchuk’s team has lost four straight, and they currently hold a two-point edge on the Cougars for ninth place in the Western Conference standings. The Thunderbirds are 21-41-1-1 this season.
Who’s Up Front:
Leading the way up front for Seattle is 20-year-old forward Burke Gallimore. The 20-year-old from Edmonton, Alberta leads the T-Birds with 38 points in 64 games played this season. With 20 goals, Gallimore leads the team, and this season marks the second year in a row that he has been able to eclipse the 20-goal mark.
Who’s on D:
16-year-old defenceman Shea Theodore leads the T-Birds blueliners with 28 points on the year. Theodore is a strong skater, and moves the puck extremely well from the back-end. Only Dave Sutter (four goals) has scored more goals than Theodore from the back-end.
Who’s in Goal:
Cougars fans will be treated to a fine display of goaltending this week from both Drew Owsley and Seattle netminder Calvin Pickard. The WHL career save leader has recorded all 21 victories for Seattle this season. He’s got a goals against average of 3.53 and a save percentage of .908.
X-Factor:
Special teams are going to be a big factor this week for both teams. Heading into tonight’s game, the Seattle Thunderbirds have the league’s second-worst power play percentage of 15.0. If the T-Birds want to find success on the road, they’ll likely need some help from their power play. If they can get that, they’ll certainly put up a strong fight against the Cougars.
Overview:
Dean Clark’s Prince George Cougars are coming off a 4-3 overtime victory against Spokane. The victory helped snap a seven game losing streak for the Cougars, and even though the Cougars have seen some lofty ups-and-downs this season, they still remain within striking distance of eighth place in the Western Conference. The Cougars are 20-43-0-2 and are two points back of Seattle for ninth in the West.
Who’s Up Front:
17-year-old draft eligible forward Troy Bourke continues to lead the Cougars offensively this season. Bourke had three points in Saturday’s victory against Spokane, and now has 48 points through 64 games this season. Bourke has eight points in his last eight games overall, and seems to find success with whoever he is lined up with. Saturday it was Caleb Belter and Chase Witala. We’ll see if Bourke can continue his push towards 50 points tonight.
Who’s on D:
Both Cody Carlson and Reid Jackson had multi-point nights on Saturday against Spokane, and all of a sudden this new-look pairing for the Cougars appears to be gelling. Cody Carlson had the game-winner on Saturday, and continues to be a consistent performer. Reid Jackson has had an up-and-down season due to injuries, but now appears healthy and has contributed greatly over the past handful of games.
Who’s in Goal:
Cougars goaltender Drew Owsley always seems to bring his best against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Owsley is 14-2-0-0 lifetime against Seattle with a save percentage of .911 against them. Fans should come to the rink for the goaltending matchup alone this week between Drew Owsley and Calvin Pickard.
X-Factor:
The Prince George Cougars power play exploded on Saturday with three goals and all of a sudden the Cougars appear to have a little confidence on the man-advantage. The Cougars power play is still ranked 22nd in the league, but if the power play can heat up down the stretch, it will greatly help the Cougars push towards eighth place.
No comments:
Post a Comment