Their bandwagon was burning but the road-weary Prince George Cougars found a way to turn on the extinguishers and snuff the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Lit up for three goals in the first 6:48 of the game, the Cougars swapped goalies and scored six unanswered goals on the way to a critical 6-4 triumph Sunday night in Kent, Wash.
Backed by a lights-out 38-save performance from goalie Ty Edmonds, the Cougars (25-29-3-5) beat the T-birds for the second time in four tries this season to move within two points of the Tri-City Americans, who hold down the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Western Conference. The Americans, who were idle Sunday, still have three games in hand over Prince George.
Edmonds came in to replace Adam Beukeboom, who was lifted after allowing three goals on nine shots. Goals by Jaimen Yakubowski, Alexander Delnov and Calvin Spencer rocked the rafters in front of 5,014 witnesses at ShoWare Center, but the Cougars stormed back, knowing what another loss would do to damage their playoff hopes.
Playing their third game in three nights, the Cougars started their comeback with first-period goals from Troy Bourke and Todd Fiddler (his 39th of the season) and a couple early in the second from Zach Pochiro and Jansen Harkins, which resulted in an early shower for Seattle netminder Danny Mumaugh, replaced by Taran Kozun, 5:48 onto the second period. The Cats kept coming and less than a minute after Harkins's goal, Fiddler set up Klarc Wilson on a power play.
Pochiro picked up his second of the game before the second intermission. Edmonds came up with a pair of difficult saves to preserve the lead and got some luck as well when Seattle defenceman Shea Theodore twice hit the goalpost in the last minute of the second period.
Yakubowski made it a 6-4 game 7:45 into the third period, the only goal Edmonds allowed. The Cougars was held without a shot through nearly 14 minutes of the third period but that's a close as it got. With the loss, Seattle (37-17-2-3) remained fourth in the West.
Saturday in Kamloops, the Cougars needed two late goals to force overtime but eventually lost 4-3 to the last-place Blazers. Cole Ully scored his second of the game and 28th this season to cinch the victory.
The Cougars were outshot 37-25. Bolton Pouliot earned the win in the Blazer nets.
Fiddler, while shorthanded, and Bourke brought the Cats back on even terms early in the third period after Mitch Friesen ,Collin Shirley and Ully had all scored on Edmonds. Fiddler also collected two assists. He now has 39 goals and 82 points, fifth in the WHL scoring race.
The Cats will play the U.S. Division-leading Portland Winterhawks Tuesday night in Portland.
