Win one, and you're in.
That's all the Prince George Cougars need to do in their final three games of the regular season this week - win one of three games against the Kamloops Blazers and they'll advance to the Western Hockey League playoffs for the first time since 2011.
The two B.C. Division rivals meet tonight in Prince George at CN Centre and again Friday night (7 p.m.) before travelling to Kamloops Saturday for the last contest of the regular season for both teams.
The Cougars returned Monday from a three-game road trip that included a 6-5 shootout victory against the Portland Winterhawks.
Going into tonight, the Cougars (29-35-2-3) have 63 points and are two points ahead the Blazers (27-35-4-3) in a battle for the third and final playoff spot in the B.C. Division.
Under the new WHL playoff format this season, the top-three teams in each division qualify for the first-six playoff berths within each of the two WHL conferences.
The remaining two spots in each conference will be filled through wild cards, with the next two highest-placed clubs earning playoff berths based on their regular-season record, regardless of division.
As of Tuesday, the teams who have clinched playoff spots in the Western Conference are Kelowna and Victoria in the B.C. Division; Everett, Portland and Seattle in the U.S. Division.
The final-two Western Conference Wildcard spots are held by the (34-30-3-3) Spokane Chiefs in seventh spot of the conference and are officially in the playoffs. The Tri-City Americans hold the eighth spot in the conference and are tied with the Blazers for the final wildcard spot.
