There are no mysteries tonight for the Prince George Cougars.
They know what the Kamloops Blazers are all about.
Just one weekend ago the Blazers came to CN Centre for back-to-back games and spanked the Cats, 3-2 and 4-2.
In each of those games, the Cougars were foiled by late third-period goals - Jermaine Loewen with 40.9 seconds left in the first game and Orrin Centazzo with 3:13 to play in the rematch.
The Blazers and Cougars are more familiar with each other than any of their other Western Hockey League opponents, based on the fact they play each other 10 times this season.
Kamloops has won five of the first seven games. Both Cougar wins came in Kamloops, Oct. 6 (6-2) and Nov. 15 (5-4). The Cougars, trying to end a four-game losing streak, are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Red Deer Rebels Monday in Prince George.
"It wasn't our best effort, their goalie (Riley Lamb) played pretty well and he played really well in Kelowna (in a 4-1 Rebels' win over the Rockets)," said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk.
"In the game scenario, if we weren't getting chances and doing the right things I'd be worried, but with the young group that we have and the energy that we have we know where we're at and we know what we're trying to accomplish this year and we kind of just have to stay status quo."
Matvichuk sat out 20-year-old veteran forwards Aaron Boyd and Brogan O'Brien in Monday's game and they will be back at it tonight as the Cougars are down to their last 15 regular-season games. Matvichuk plans to play goalie Tavin Grant, his first start since Jan. 30 in Swift Current.
"The two Kamloops games, it was a bounce either way - I thought the teams were evenly-matched and maybe their goalie played a little better than ours," said Matvichuk. "But that's a goalie (Dylan Ferguson) who played in the National Hockey League this year, too.
"If we play our systems and do the right things for 60 minutes it's going to give us a chance to win. Our key has to be our enthusiasm and our intensity has to be off the charts."
As far as playoff implications, the Cougars (19-30-4-4) are all but mathematically eliminated. But the Blazers began the weekend still very much in the hunt. They trailed the Seattle Thunderbirds by six points in the chase for the second Western Conference wild-card spot. Kamloops hosted Kelowna Friday night, while Seattle took on the Everett Silvertips Friday in Kent, Wash.
The Cougars have called up 16-year-old forward Connor Bowie from the Northeast Trackers (Fort St. John) midget team for his first game action with the Cats since being acquired Jan. 10 from Portland in the Dennis Cholowski trade. The six-foot-one, 179-pound Bowie has 27 goals and 54 points in 27 games with the Trackers. He also scored a goal in four games with the major midget Cariboo Cougars.
The Cougars will remain on the road and will head to Kelowna for a Wednesday game against the Rockets, then visit Spokane next Friday and Tri-City the following night. They'll return to CN Centre for a midweek doubleheader against the Rockets, Feb. 27-28.
LOOSE PUCKS: Before the Blazers played the Rockets Friday night in Kamloops, Blazers head coach Don Hay was recognized with a banner-raising ceremony to commemorate his career accomplishment as the winningest coach in WHL history. Hay eclipsed Ken Hodge's former record of 742 wins when the Blazers beat the Portland Winterhawks Jan. 27 in Kamloops... Right winger Ty Ronning became the first Vancouver Giant to score 50 goals in a season when he collected his 50th and 51st in a 4-2 win Wednesday in Portland.
Heading into the Giants' game Friday against Edmonton, Ronning was just three goals off the 54-goal pace of Moose Jaw Warrior Jayden Halbgewachs for the league lead. Halbgewachs scored the opening goal in the Moose Jaw's 5-3 loss to the Regina Pats Friday in Moose Jaw. The Warriors became the first WHL team to clinch a playoff spot when they beat Regina 6-3 Wednesday in Regina... The Cougars are slashing ticket prices to $5 each for teens aged 13-19 for their last two Wednesday home games of the season, Feb. 28 against Kelowna and March 7 against Portland. The promotion is sponsored by Brownridge Insurance and Earls Kitchen & Bar... The Cougars third annual awards brunch is scheduled for Sunday, March 18 at 11 a.m. at the Civic Centre. Tickets are $40 for adults, $25 for kids.
