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Cats think pink and beat Bruins decisively |
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Written by JIM SWANSONCitizen Sports Editor
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Friday, 03 October 2008 |
Dana Tyrell of the Prince George Cougars grits his teeth as he leads the charge with the puck down the left wing ahead of Liam Darragh of the Chilliwack Bruins. The Cats defeated their WHL B.C. Division rivals 4-1. (Citizen photo by David Mah)
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Time to rethink, with a wink.
In the rink, the Pink Panthers - er, Cougars - get good ink after making the Chilliwack Bruins shrink with a convincing 4-1 victory Friday at CN Centre.
The skates of Prince George players were tied with pink laces and their sticks and shinpads wrapped in pink tape, a night of support for the CIBC Run For the Cure which takes place Sunday. On Friday, they made that colour work on ice against a Bruins team that, bluntly, looked out of sync.
“That's the worst game we've played all season, give credit to them because they had something to do with that,” said Bruins coach Jim Hiller, easily the angriest person in the building after the game.
“The game we played them down there (last Saturday's 3-2 overtime win for P.G.) was a much closer game. We weren't ready to play a road game here. We have to have a bit of a gut check because that was as ugly as it gets.”
If the Bruins were ugly, the Cougars were beauty. The Cats stormed the Bruins early, got the first two goals later than they would've liked, and were full marks for the two points.
“We got the jump on them and their goaltender played well in the first, and in the second we got more traffic,” said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck.
It wasn't until the second period that someone managed to score - but it wasn't for lack of trying on the Cougars' part. Alex Poulter was set up by import Marek Viedensky and slid a 30-footer along the ice and five-hole on Chilliwack goalie Lucas Gore, who wanted that one back.
Less than two minutes later, Dallas Jackson, the 19-year-old defenceman who has been an epiphany here since being acquired from the Regina Pats, outwaited Gore and a Bruins defence that refused to engage most of the night before sniping his fourth goal of the season. Jackson, leading his team in scoring now with eight points, had five goals all of last season.
The Cougars needed that outburst. After outshooting the Bruins 15-4 in the first period and squandering five power-play chances, including a long two-man opportunity, the banana peel was there. How often have you seen a team dominate early, fail to score, and discover teeth marks in their pants?
“We opened up the game, but Chilliwack works hard, that's one thing they always do,” said Schoneck.
“The message is, you have to keep going and eventually you'll do it. We've had a tendency in the past to sag when we've had a good start, and I didn't think we did that. We kept at it.”
Chilliwack didn't roll over, matching the Cougars in shots in the second period (14 apiece). Kevin Sundher made it a one-goal game with 2:22 to play in the second period, but that would prove to be all the Bruins could muster.
Swedish winger Alex Wiklund had Cougars goaltender Kevin Armstrong beat for the tying goal in the third, on a Bruins power play, but knifed the puck through the crease between the goalie and the net. The miss proved costly.
Viedensky gave the Cougars the insurance they needed by redirecting a pass from ex-Bruin Colby Kulhanek behind Gore. Cougars captain Dana Tyrell iced it with a beauty, high to the glove side on Gore, off a rush later in the period.
The Cougars improved to 4-1-0-0 overall, and 3-0 on home ice - a far cry from last year's struggles at CN Centre. Kevin Armstrong, almost a forgotten man with how much the puck was in the other end, stopped 24 shots and was that one shot away from posting his second-straight shutout at home.
Gore, who has started the last two games against the Cats while projected starter Mark Friesen worked the gate, made 31 saves. Local products Ryan Howse and Brandon Manning, two of the 17-year-olds on the Bruins roster, were held off the scoresheet other than their combined 10 minutes in minor penalties.
Howse was absolutely crushed by a clean open-ice check by Cougars defenceman Colin Scherger in the final minute, who then had to pay the piper and was hammered by Bruins blueliner Scott Ramsay in the ensuing fight. Howse left with help from teammates, leaving a spot of blood behind. Reading between the lines, Hiller made it sound as though Howse could be out for awhile.
“I can't get a good call on it yet, the doctors are with him now... he's talking to everyone, so he's doing OK that way,” said the coach. “I think it's probably a long-shot (he'll play tonight).”
So, the first-time colour promotion behind them, the question must be asked -- might the Cougars stick with the new lucky charm and wear pink in tonight's rematch?
“No, no, I don't think so,” laughed Schoneck.
“It was a great event to show support, but... the pink doesn't really go with the red and black so we'll go back to normal. The guys were great with it, it's cosmetic stuff for a great cause, so outside of looking bright it shouldn't affect your game and it didn't (Friday).”
KITTY LITTER: The teams combined for 12 scoreless power plays, seven for the home side and five for the visitors... The Bruins dropped to 2-2-1-0 overall... Gore earned an assist on Sundher's goal - the first goal of Sundher's career, and the first point for Gore. Both are rookies, and Sundher was his team's first-round choice in the 2007 bantam draft... The Cougars scratched 16-year-olds Greg Fraser and Bruin McDonald, along with D Matt Cumming, C Cody Rainaldi, RW Tyler Halliday and injured forward Marcus Watson... After tonight's game, the Cats welcome Garrett Thiessen and the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, then vacate the town for a nine-game road swing that starts in Kamloops and Kelowna next weekend... Attendance was announced at 2,665, the smallest crowd of the season. Tonight, the number should be boosted by about 1,000 thanks to The Citizen's Meet the Pack promotion, with tickets given away to subscribers. On Sunday, from 3 to 4 p.m., kids aged 5-12 can play ball hockey with the Cougars in the CN Centre parking lot.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 03 October 2008 )
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