It was a valiant comeback attempt but the Prince George Cougars couldn't rebound from an early deficit against the defending Western Hockey League champion Edmonton Oil Kings.
The Cougars (7-9-1-1) fell 4-2 loss to the Oil Kings (12-5-1-2) in front of 1,883 fans at CN Centre on Friday night. Both teams entered the game after dropping contests in Kelowna - the Cougars lost 5-0 last Saturday and the Oil Kings fell 3-2 on Wednesday.
The Cougars out shot the Oil Kings 40-29 but could only get two goals past goaltender Laurant Brossoit to pull within a goal at 3-2 after falling behind 3-0 in the first period.
The Cougars went 0-for-5 on the power play against the top penalty killers in the WHL and also allowed two shorthanded goals - the second into an empty net to ice the game by defenceman Griffin Reinhart.
Mac Engel didn't start the game stopped all 19 shots he faced to give the Cougars the opportunity for the comeback.
Brett Zarowny received the start in the Cougars' net but only lasted 20 minutes as the Oil Kings beat the 17-year-old rookie three times on nine shots in the opening period, taking a 3-0 lead.
Henrik Samuelsson opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game to give the visitors the early advantage. The Cougars gave up their fifth shorthanded goal of the season when T.J. Foster broke in alone on Zarowny beating him for the 2-0 lead. With three seconds left in the period, Zarowny was beaten between his left pad and glove hand with a weak shot by Oil Kings leading scorer, and New York Rangers prospect, Michael St. Croix. It was St. Croix's 12th of the season.
Mac Engel replaced Zarowny in the Cougars' net to start the second period and stopped all 11 shots the Oil Kings fired his way in the second period.
But it was the Cats with the best chances in the middle frame as the line of Colin Jacobs, Jari Erricson and Daulton Siwak was finally rewarded for their hard work midway through the period. Erricson found the loose puck in the crease and poked it past Edmonton goalie Brossoit to pull the Cougars with a pair at 3-1. Jacobs and defencman Dallas Ehrhardt drew the assists.
Cougars captain Brock Hirsche left the game late in the second period after blocking a shot, heading straight to the dressing room in obvious pain.
Cody Corbett and Travis Ewanyk each had two assists for the Oil Kings.
Brett Roulston pulled the Cougars within a goal at 3-2 when he picked up the puck in the high slot and fired it past Brossoit. The goal was Roulston's fourth of the season. Not long after, Jarrett Fontaine out hustled all of the Oil Kings to the puck while the Cats were shorthanded by couldn't beat Brossoit.
Notes: Jake Mykitiuk, Jordan Tkatch, Michael Mylchreest and Zach Pochiro were the scratches for the Cougars on Friday. Mykitiuk is out indefinitely with mono while Mylchreest has an upper-body injury. The rematch between the Cats and Oil Kings is tonight, 7 p.m. at CN Centre. Fans in section P can expect to get pawed as the Cougars open their hearts to dogs for the night.
