Losing 5-2 to the Kamloops Blazers was bad enough for the Prince George Cougars.
Losing top-line sniper Chase Witala to injury Friday night in Kamloops made it even tougher to swallow.
The Blazers (11-10-0-2) took a 3-2 lead just 27 seconds into the third period on a deflection from Logan McVeigh and never looked back. Colin Shirley and Cole Ully also scored in the final frame to send the Cougars (12-13-0-0) to their fifth loss in the past six games.
Witala went down 8:06 into the second period when he got involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Blazers left winger Matthew Campese. The 19-year-old right winger had to be helped off the ice favouring his right leg and did not return. Campese was given a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct. The Cougars failed to score on the extended power play.
Witala left the game as the Cougars second-leading pont-getter with 25 and is tied with Jari Erricson with a team-leading 13 goals this season
The teams traded power-play goals in the second period. Michael Fora for the Blazers and Erricson for the Cougars cashed in with the man advantage and the teams were tied 2-2 after two.
The Blazers opened the scoring 1:33 into the game on a low shot from Deven Sideroff that found its way through Ty Edmonds' equipment. Prince George minor hockey product Josh Connolly drew an assist, the first of his three in the game. Jansen Harkins evened the count for the Cats.
Shots were 35-25 in favour of the Blazers.
The Cougars will be in Vancouver tonight to take on the Giants in the seventh of an eight-game regular season series, The Cats beat the Giants 6-1 at CN Centre on Wednesday, after losing 6-4 on home ice to the Giants on Tuesday.
