Doughnuts aren't on the list of recommended food items to fill the bellies of WHL hockey players but Carter Hart is a big fan.
With just 31 games under his belt playing goal for the Everett Silvertips, the 17-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., already has five shutouts.
His fifth came Friday night at CN Centre, where he made 27 saves in a 2-0 victory over the Prince George Cougars in the season-opener for both teams.
Patrick Bajkov, in the second period, and 16-year-old rookie Connor Dewar, with an empty-netter, accounted for all the scoring.
The Silvertips outworked the Cougars through much of the opening 40 minutes but really took control of the game in the second period. They generated a flurry of activity in the Cougars' end to start the period and if not for Ty Edmonds, who made diving efforts to deny veteran shooters Remi Laurencelle and Dawson Leedahl, Everett would have had a two-goal lead. Tenacious forechecking from Leedahl, Laurencelle and linemate Carson Stadnyk kept Edmonds busy but the 19-year-old goalie was strong on his feet and held up to the pressure.
Edmonds could not be faulted when Bajkov took advantage on an odd-man rush with the teams playing 4-on-4 when Cats defenceman Max Martin fell at centre.
Bajkov drew the puck into the slot and ripped a low wrist shot in behind Edwards for the games' first goal, 12:30 into the second.
The Cougars were outshot 21-9 in the second and two of those nine were dangerous chances in the final minute of the period off the stick of Brad Morrison, set up in front by new linemate Jesse Gabrielle. Hart stuck out his leg to deny Morrison - his best save of the game at that point to preserve the lead heading into the intermission.
The Silvertips had the second-stingiest defence in the WHL last season and in that one-sided second period the new crop of Everett players showed they've already bought into head coach Kevin Constantine's gameplan.
The Cougars found their skating legs again in the third period with some pressure of their own in the offensive end, getting back to the way they started the game.
Cougars coach Mark Holick reunited his top line from last year with Morrison playing with Jansen Harkins and Chase Witala.
They came close a few times but couldn't connect.
The same teams meet Sunday at 5 p.m. at CN Centre.
LOOSE PUCKS: Cougars rookie Brogan O'Brien appeared to open the scoring 2:34 into the second period when he was first to the rebound of a Sam Ruopp point shot but the replay showed conclusively that O'Brien kicked the puck in... The Cougars line combinations to start the season had Harkins on the top line centring RW Witala and LW Bartek Bison, a 17-year-old Dutch import, who played his first WHL game. Morrison was the pivot on the second line with LW Jared Bethune and RW Gabrielle, the Boston pick who made his Cougar debut after a trade from Regina. O'Brien centred the third line with LW Aaron Boyd and RW Colby McAuley, while the fourth line had C Justin Almeida with LW Jordan Ross and RW Kody McDonald. But there was some significant line juggling in the third period, with the Cats trailing. On defence, the Cats pairings were Tate Olson-Joe Carvalho, Josh Anderson-Ruopp and Martin-Joel Lakusta.
