Cain Franson batted home the winner for the Vancouver Giants giving them a 2-1 win over the Prince George Cougars at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum on Friday.
The 19-year-old found the puck midair and knocked it into the Cougars' net behind Mac Engel much to the delight of the 11,214 fans taking in the Western Hockey League game. It was Franson's 11th goal of the season.
The Cougars (10-18-1-3) entered the game with an eight-point cushion on the Giants (9-23) in the Western conference and trailed the Everett Silvertips (13-22-0-2) by four points for the eighth, and final, playoff spot. Everett lost 4-2 in Portland on Friday. Prince George has four games in hand on the Silvertips.
It was the second meeting of the season between the Cougars and Giants in Vancouver. The Giants won in a shootout on Nov. 11 after the Cougars scored two late goals to tie the game.
The Cougars have lost four straight games while being out scored 14-3. Prince George had a late power play to try and tie the game but their league-worst power play couldn't find the net.
It didn't take long for the bears to fly in Vancouver as Trevor Cheek scored the Giants' teddy bear goal only 1:55 into the game, beating Cougars goalie Engel under the blocker with a one-timer from the top of the slot after splitting the defence. Giants goalie Payton Lee picked up the assist on Cheek's 11th goal of the season. Cheek finished the night with two points.
The Cougars struck back in the final minute of the period to tie the game at 1-1 when Jari Erricson beat Lee glove side with his seventh goal of the season, 20th of his career.
Cougars centre Zach Pochiro and Giants right-winger Scott Cooke received game misconducts after a fight midway through the first period.
Prince George went 0-for-3 on the power play while the Giants were also 0-for-3. The Cougars out shot the Giants 31-23.
Jansen Harkins was playing in his third WHL game with the Cougars on Friday in Vancouver and for the first time since his atom hockey days, the 15-year-old had his dad Todd behind the bench.
"It's a little weird because he hasn't coached me since probably before peewee," said Harkins.
Todd Harkins will be with the Cougars over Christmas as an assistant coach as Jason Becker will be away coaching Team Pacific at the 2013 Under-17 World Challenge in Quebec. The elder Harkins coached the B.C. Major Midget League Vancouver NW Giants until stepping away from the team this season as Jansen became the lone Harkins with the defending B.C. champs. He had a 10-year career in the NHL with the Calgary Flames and Hartford Whalers.
"He's a great coach and a great mentor for me," said Jansen. "I'm really excited for him. It's a great experience for him. I'm really happy for him because he's a great coach."
The Cougars and Giants hopped on their respective buses after the game at Pacific Coliseum to head north for a pair of games tonight, 7 p.m., and Sunday, 4 p.m., at CN Centre. Sunday's game is the annual Teddy Bear toss game where fans are asked to toss a stuffed bear on the ice after the Cats score their first goal of the night. The Cougars will have leading scorer Colin Jacobs back Saturday night as his six-game suspension has been served.
