Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs hasn't been selective about shredding Western Hockey League defences.
Against the Prince George Cougars, Holmberg has been particularly deadly.
It's bad enough for the Cougars to try to contain a guy with 57 goals and 107 points now engaged in a scoring race dogfight with Nic Petan of Portland, who also has 107 points. But in each of his two games against the Cougars, Holmberg collected four points. Had he maintained the same pace in his other 64 games this season he'd have 264 points and his name chiseled in the WHL record book.
Nobody knows Holmberg's capabilities better than Cougars winger Todd Fiddler -- they were linemates last season on the Chiefs and together both of them thrived.
"Spokane is a pretty good team and knowing that coach, [Don Nachbaur], they work real hard," said Fiddler. "We just have to match the work ethic and don't stop believing."
Fiddler, who scored 42 goals last season for the Chiefs, has 45 this season. He joined the Cougars in early November after scoring just two goals in 14 games with Moose Jaw. As valuable as Holmberg is to the Chiefs, the 20-year-old Fiddler has consistently been the Cougars' best player and seems to be getting better as the season progresses.
"I'm just trying to play every game hard each night and give it all I've got and hopefully we can get in the playoffs," Fiddler said. "My main goal is to make playoffs but 50 goals would be pretty special, it's obviously an accomplishment in this league not many guys do."
Aside from the obvious scoring threat Fiddler poses with his big shot, he kills penalties, has breakaway speed, and brings formidable strength and smart moves on the forecheck.
"He's been big part of our success, one of the big reasons we are where we are, hoping to catch that playoff spot," said Cougars head coach Mark Holick. "He's provided offence but people forget what he's contributed on the penalty kill. He has five [shorthanded goals] and eight shorthanded points and he's a plus player in the games he's played for us. I would think he would be juiced for this series."
The Cougars (24-34-3-5) are four points out of a playoff spot with just four games left in the season. They need nothing short of four more wins to have a hope of catching the Tri-City Americans for eighth place in the Western Conference and they'll have their hands full trying to defeat the fifth-place Chiefs (35-24-3-3) the next two nights at CN Centre.
"They are very dangerous on their power play," said Cougars right winger Zach Pochiro. Their chances are pretty good, 5-on-4, that's pretty much how they win games. They block a lot of shots and they have a good goalie [20-year-old Eric Williams], but if we play like we have been playing I'm not afraid to go against any team."
The Cougars are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and are coming off two close losses to Victoria last weekend. The Chiefs are 4-5-1 in their last 10, having lost 3-1 Wednesday in Kelowna. They're one point ahead of sixth-place Everett.
Cougars left winger Chase Witala could see limited action tonight in his first game back after missing 25 games with a back injury. At the time he got injured, Jan. 7 against Seattle, Witala was among the leading Cougar scorers (18g-13a-31pts in 39 games).
"He might get clearance from the doctor to play but it's tough to get in with the pace of the games right now so high," said Holick.
The Chiefs will be without four injured forwards Jacob Cardiff (upper body), Adam Hascic (upper body), Blair Oneschuk (upper body) and Liam Stewart (lower body). Stewart, 19, is the son of rock legend Rod Stewart and supermodel Rachel Hunter. In 41 games in his third WHL season Stewart had seven goals and 27 points.
