Radovan Bondra provided an immediate pay-off for the Prince George Cougars Wednesday in his first game with his new team.
The 19-year-old Slovakian left winger scored the tying goal 37 seconds into the third period and assisted on Jared Bethune's power play goal 7:06 into the period to give the Cougars a 4-3 road victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Bondra and his six-foot-five, 219-pound frame casts a large shadow and he drove to the net to get to the rebound of a Brandon Guhle point shot for his 20th goal of the season.
Bethune's goal ended a 1-for-22 slump for the Prince George power play.
The win over the Central Division leaders allowed the Cougars (29-12-2-0) to move one point ahead of the Tigers (29-13-1-0) into second place overall in the Western Hockey League standings.
The Cougars now have a 15-6-1-0 record on the road and they moved seven points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers, who rank second in the B.C. Division standings.
Zach Fischer gave the Tigers their first lead 8:26 into the second period on a Medicine Hat power play.
Fischer one-handed the rebound of a puck that had deflected off the post and it went in off Edmonds' leg.
A minute later, Jesse Gabrielle knotted the score 2-2, one-timing a pass in the slot from Nikita Popugaev to end a nine-game scoring slump. Matt Bradley made it a 3-2 count a couple minutes later, taking a cross-ice feed from Mason Shaw.
Sam Ruopp for the Cougars and Steven Owre for the Tigers, scored in the first period.
The Cougars resume their four-game tour of the Central Division Friday against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge, ending it Saturday in Calgary against the Hitmen.
The Cougars started their trip with a 4-1 loss in Red Deer.
The Cougars were without winger Kody McDonald (sick) and Tate Olson (upper-body injury.
Olson got hurt in the second period in Red Deer when he collided with teammate Brad Morrison.
He's not expected to return to action on the trip.
