In a game which meant nothing to the Prince George Cougars and everything to the Kamloops Blazers, the outcome between two close WHL rivals Saturday night in Kamloops was predictable.
A day after they clinched a playoff spot for the first time in four WHL seasons with a 3-1 win at home over the Blazers, the Cougars fell 5-2 to the Blazers in the regular season finale.
The Cats rested their star offensive players and gave goalie Ty Edmonds a well-deserved night off and the Blazers took advantage, scoring three goals on 25 shots in the first period alone to take control.
Although the Blazers did their part in a must-win situation, their efforts went for naught when the Tri-City Americans beat Spokane 2-1 Saturday to claim the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Blazers (28-37-4-3) finished the season ninth in the conference, four points behind the Cougars (31-36-2-3), who ended up third in the B.C. Division. The Cats open the playoffs Friday in Victoria against the second-place Royals.
Cougars goalie Tavin Grant, in his first start since Feb. 14 when he made 40 saves to beat the Red Deer Rebels in Red Deer, kept it scoreless until the 12:45 mark, when Matt Needham collected his 25th of the season. Jake Kryski and Collin Shirley added to the count before the period ended.
Cal Babych, in the second period, and Josh Anderson, 48 seconds into third, brought the Cougars close, but Patrik Meier and Logan McVeigh pounded two more past Grant late in the game. Cole Ully picked up three assists to finish with a season total of 60. He led the Blazers in scoring this season 94 points.
The shot count favoured the Blazers, 43-25.
The Cougars did not dress 20-year-old Zach Pochiro, who totalled 42 points in 41 games, and played top-liners Chase Witala and Jansen Harkins only sparingly. Witala led the Cougars this season with 38 goals, while Harkins was the team's top pointgetter with 79. Harkins also set the Cougars' single-season record with 59 assists, one more than former record-holder Quinn Hancock.
Prince George native Jari Erricson, in his last regular season game with the Cougars as a graduating overager, was held off the scoreboard. Erricson finished with 22 goals and 44 points and led the Cougars in plus/minus ratings with a plus-11.
Victoria hosts Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven series Friday and Saturday, then the series switches to CN Centre for games Wednesday, April 1 and Thursday, April 2. Tickets for those games go on sale this Thursday at the CN Centre box office.
