The Prince George Cougars knew they latched onto a good one at the trading table when they landed 17-year-old forward Ilijah Colina in a deadline deal with the Portland Winterhawks.
Friday night in Brandon he showed how valuable he's going to be for the Cougars as his star continues to rise in the Western Hockey League.
Colina's two-goal outburst gave the Cougars a 3-2 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings, ending a four-game slide for the Cats as they continued their longest road trip of the season.
Colina was in the right position standing unguarded in the slot after linemates Jared Bethune and Ethan Browne did the dirty work digging the puck free around the net. Colina's high shot beat Logan Thompson for the game-winner with 2:33 left.
It was the fourth goal for Colina in 11 games since he joined the Cats in the deal that sent high-profile defenceman Dennis Cholowski to the Winterhawks.
Bethune led the Cougars' cause with a goal and two assists and was named the game's first star. Bethune's goal, 7:54 into the third period, came while his team was playing shorthanded. He split through the defence and with a burst of speed got behind Zach Wytinck, finishing the breakaway with a high backhander.
The win was the first for the Cougars (19-26-4-4) in Brandon since 2007 and they extended the Wheat Kings' losing streak to nine games. Brandon (28-18-3-2) remains third in the East.
The Cougars picked up the pace to start the second period and came close when Josh Curtis was robbed by a split save from Thompson in the opening minute.
Colina tied it 1-1, 4:35 into the first period. Browne got to a loose puck behind the Brandon net and centred it through the crease. Bethune missed it with his stick but the puck was left for Colina, standing just off the post.
A rookie mistake led to the second Brandon goal. Right winger Keegan Kraik, a 16-year-old in only his second WHL game, tried to move the puck out of the Cougars' zone and Rylan Bettens forced a turnover and took a shot from the side. Goalie Isaiah DiLaura kicked out the rebound and Linden McCorrister roofed it into the net with 10:33 gone in the second period.
DiLaura (2-1-0) made 28 saves to earn his second career WHL victory. The Cougars outshot Brandon 32-20. Thompson (23-15-2) took the loss.
The Wheat Kings went 1-for-3 on the power play while the Cougars were scoreless in two opportunities. Penalty-killing continues to be a sore spot for the Cougars. A month ago they were the best in the WHL at killing penalties but they've fallen on hard times since the week before the Christmas break and have tumbled to 11th in the 22-team league, having allowed 50 power-play goals in 230 opportunities, a 78.3 per cent success rate.
That 50th goal gave Brandon a 1-0 lead just 3:52 into the game, while Aaron Boyd was serving a slashing penalty. Evan Weinger cut across the crease with the puck and slid it along the ice through the legs of DiLaura, who tried for the poke check.
The Cats got off to slow start, trailing 8-3 in shots, but settled in and played much better in the second half of the period. By the end of the period the shots were 11-10 Brandon .
LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars, who left Prince George a week ago Wednesday, wrap up their trip tonight in Moose Jaw against the WHL-leading Warriors. They lost the first four games of their East Division tour, in Prince Albert, Saskatoon (in a shootout), Swift Current and Regina. They return to CN Centre ice next Friday on Lumberjack Night against the Kamloops Blazers. For Friday's game, the Cougars will be wearing their lumberjack jerseys, which will be available to the highest bidders in a silent auction... Blazers head coach Don Hay, who became the winningest coach in the WHL Saturday in Kamloops with a 4-2 win over Portland, will be featured in a pre-game banner-raising ceremony in Kamloops to commemorate his career achievement before the Blazers-Kelowna game, Friday, Feb. 16.
