The Christmas wish list of the Prince George Cougars is not long but what they're hoping for is needed in great abundance.
Wins, wins, and more wins.
Those two-point accomplishments have been few and far between in 2013 but on Sunday night they found a way to defeat the sizzling-hot Vancouver Giants 3-1 in front of 6,324 witnesses at the Pacific Coliseum. The win left the Cougars four points out of a playoff spot as they head into the holiday break. It was the Cougars' first win in Vancouver since March of 2011, ending a nine-game drought.
Goals from Jordan Tkatch and Zach Pochiro in a 25-second span early in the second period and a superb 41-save performance from goalie Ty Edmonds doomed the Giants to only their second regulation-time loss of their past 17 games. Klarc Wilson added an empty-netter late.
Carter Popoff had the only goal for the Giants, who outshot the Cats 42-25. Edmonds was at his best in the third period when his team was outshot 10-2, making several game-savers.
The Giants (17-13-5-2) began the game with just one regulation loss in their last 17 games. (13-18-2-3). That kind of consistency has eluded the Cougars (14-18-2-3). Only once this season (Sept. 28 and Oct. 1) have the Cats strung together back-to-back wins.
Saturday in Spokane, the Cougars allowed four goals in the first period, scored three times unanswered in the second period, then gave up two more in the third period and lost 6-3 to the Spokane Chiefs. The Chiefs were led by WHL scoring leader Mitch Holmberg, who scored twice and added two assists, leaving him with 37 goals and 37 assists for 74 points in 34 games. Mike Aviani, Adam Helewka, Jeremy McIntosh and Jeff Rayman also scored for Spokane. Holmberg's first of the night, an unassisted effort 4:35 into the game, triggered the teddy bear toss from the crowd of 8,825 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Todd Fiddler, who scored 42 goals for the Chiefs last season, brought the Cougars' offence to life in the second period, assisting on two goals and collecting his 15th of the season. Fiddler has been the hottest Cougar lately with eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in his past 10 games. Tkatch and Troy Bourke, while shorthanded, were the other Cats' scorers.
Edmonds made 30 saves as his team was outshot 36-30. The Chiefs went 3-for-8 on the power play. The Cats were scoreless in three power-play opportunities.
Prince George began the roadtrip Friday in Kennewick, Wash., with a 5-1 win over the Tri-City Americans.
The Cougars go into the Christmas break ranked ninth in the WHL Western Conference, four points back of the eighth-place Americans. The Giants are seventh in the West. The Cats end their 2013 schedule Dec. 27-28 with two games in Victoria and a Dec. 30 date in Vancouver.
Defenceman Josh Smith, 19, played his first game for the Cougars in nearly two years. He was recalled from Okotoks of the AJHL for Sunday's game.
