Ty Rimmer jumped for joy, just like any other hockey goalie would, celebrating a shutout.
As much as he was happy to stop 37 shots and preserve a 6-0 win over the Swift Current Broncos Tuesday night at CN Centre, he was happier his Prince George Cougars ended their losing streak at five.
The Cats' goaltending has been under the microscope lately. Rimmer and James Priestner have been a flashpoint for the finger of blame pointing out the team's failings on the ice this month. A win over Calgary, a point for a shootout loss to Seattle, and Tuesday's home ice win, are all the Cats have to show for seven games in December. Five out of a possible 14 points.
Yet in the logjam that exists in the B.C. Division of the Western Hockey League, the Cougars are hanging in there, smack dab in the middle in third place. The Cats are two points behind first-place Vancouver and three ahead of the last-place Kamloops Blazers, who will play the Cougars tonight and Saturday at CN Centre.
The Cougars' goaltending came under fire during the losing streak and that especially showed on the road Saturday in Portland when a couple of weak goals allowed by Priestner negated the success of the Cougars in dominating every other aspect of the game. Despite being outshot 36-12 through two periods, the teams were tied 3-3 and Portland went on to win 7-4.
"Everyone's accountable for their actions and the goaltenders are too," said Clark. "It's tough when you have a team that's playing really hard and you have some goals at the other end that shouldn't go in. I'm sure they don't want then to go in either, but those things happen and that's junior hockey.
"What we'd like to see from everybody, and hopefully the start was (Tuesday night), is just a more balanced and sustainable game that we can play the majority of the time. We played some really good hockey in Portland. We didn't get the wins but we played some good hockey and we carried that into the game Tuesday night. That was as good of a game we've played here since I've been the coach here."
The Cougars will be without defenceman Jesse Forsberg, who hurt his ankle in Portland. Called up to replace him is 15-year-old Raymond Grewal of the Cariboo Cougars major midget team, who will be making his WHL debut. In 14 games this season the six-foot-one, 160-pound native of Prince George has two goals and 12 assists. Also not available are forward Brett Connolly and defenceman Martin Marincin, who are with their respective Canadian and Slovakian teams preparing for the world junior championship that starts Dec. 26 in Buffalo.
The Blazers will have third-year defenceman Josh Caron back in the lineup. Caron has missed all but two games this season with a broken collarbone. World junior team commitments will leave the Blazers without forwards Dalibor Bortnak (Slovakia) and Keil Bernhard (Germany) but will otherwise have their full lineup to face the Cougars tonight. That means dealing with Brendan Ranford, who leads the WHL in scoring with 53 points, including 28 goals in 32 games. Ranford had two goals and an assist in the Blazers' 5-4 loss to Portland Wednesday night.
Fans are being asked to bring donations tonight for the Salvation Army food bank. The Blazers will be back on CN Centre ice Saturday night for Teddy Bear and Tuque Toss Night.
