It's a slim chance but the Prince George Cougars could still earn a Western Hockey League playoff spot with help.
If the Cougars (23-45-0-2) beat the Kamloops Blazers in their remaining two games they would end the season with 52 points. Mathematically it's possible for Prince George to finish the season in a tie with both the Everett Silvertips (21-38-2-8) and the Seattle Thunderbirds (24-43-1-1), bringing tiebreakers into the equation.
The Silvertips would need to lose both their remaining games at Tri City and in Seattle in regulation, while the Thunderbirds would need to beat Everett in regulation and lose in Spokane and Portland without going to overtime.
All three teams would finish tied for eighth place. Under the WHL's tie-breaking rules the club with the most wins would earn home-ice advantage in a sudden-death playoff game. But in the event of a three-way tie the team with the least wins is eliminated. Seattle and Prince George would both finish with 25 wins and Everett with 21, eliminating the Silvertips.
Since Prince George and Seattle have the same number of wins another tiebreaker is needed.
Under the second tiebreaker, the team with the most points in head-to-head games between the two clubs during the regular season earns the home-ice advantage. In four games between the Cougars and T-birds this season Prince George has earned six points against Seattle to the T-birds three. By winning the tiebreakers, the Cougars would then host a one-game playoff with the T-birds at CN Centre for the final playoff spot.
The Cougars and Blazers play Friday at 7 p.m. in Kamloops, while the T-birds are in Spokane and the Silvertips are in Tri City. Both U.S. Division games are scheduled to start at 7:05.
