They might need to turn their hockey sticks into pry bars to create openings in the net but the Prince George Cougars have already proven it this season.
They can score against the Everett Silvertips.
That's something very few teams in the Western Hockey League have been able to figure out. Dating back to last season, when they had the league's second-stingiest defence, the Silvertips have thrived on the wet-blanket approach to stifling opposing offences. They're now averaging just 2.27 goals allowed per game, second only to Victoria.
Tonight in Everett (7:35 p.m. start) the Cougars and their fifth-ranked defence (2.64 goals-against average) are faced with the task of trying to repeat what they did to the Silvertips in a 5-1 win at CN Centre on Sept. 27. That came a day after Everett beat the Cats 2-0 in the season-opener.
"I think they're similar to us, they have a hard time scoring and they defend well and when we're playing as a group we're pretty difficult to score against," said Cougars head coach Mark Holick.
"They're a team that's well-coached and they play well as a five-man unit and when we have success that's how we play so I think we match up well. It'll be a tight-checking close game."
The Cougars (8-6-0-0) rank fifth in the Western Conference and have a 7-3-0-0 record in their last 10 games, having won two straight. Everett (6-4-0-1) is eighth in the West. Coached by former NHL bench boss Kevin Constantine, the Silvertips are coming off a solid week in which they lost 3-2 in shootout at home to top-ranked Brandon, then split a weekend series with Portland.
Holick didn't like all he saw from his team in Monday's 4-3 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Although the Cougars outshot the 'Canes 40-28, the league's top-ranked offense produced some scary moments for the Cougars and they were forced to lean on goalie Ty Edmonds to bail them out.
"I thought there were some lulls in our game and it was a bit sloppy but at the end of the day we got the two points and that's what's important," said Holick.
The line of WHL rookie Brogan O'Brien centring Jesse Gabrielle on the left side and Brad Morrison at right wing was money in the bank for the Cougars Monday. Gabrielle and Morrison contributed to three of the four scoring plays, each with a goal and two assists, while O'Brien was held to one assist. Holick saw enough positive signs to keep that unit intact tonight in Everett.
"That line was thrown together and seems to have caught some fire," said Holick. "Certainly with Gabrielle and O'Brien a good pairing, (Morrison) complements them real well."
Cougar forward Chase Witala ended a six-game scoring drought Monday with his fourth of the season. Coming off a 38-goal, 69 point season last year, the 20-year-old still has a lot of catching up to do to get back to that pace. With centre Jansen Harkins still in sickbay, Witala will start the game tonight on a line with centre Justin Almeida and Jared Bethune.
The Cougars added a third goaltender to the equation Wednesday when they picked up Nate McBride from the Prince Albert Raiders but McBride won't meet his new teammates until practice Monday. Holick said he'll start Edmonds against the Silvertips, with 20-year-old Mack Shields as the backup.
The Cougars visit the Blazers Saturday night, looking to avenge last week's 6-1 loss in Kamloops.
"I don't think we played near our potential in that game, we didn't play as a group and got behind early," said Holick. "The first goal is real important for our group and that's where the focus will be."
The Cougars are 8-2-0-0 when they score first and have an 8-0 record when leading after the first period.
LOOSE PUCKS: Cougars D Tate Olson is still out with a upper-body injury which has kept him out of the lineup for four games. D Max Martin is the only other injured Cougar and won't be ready until at least January after having had shoulder surgery. Everett D Lukas Skrumeda is the only injured Silvertip, expected to miss one or two weeks with an upper-body aliment... Harkins, who missed the past two games with flu-like symptoms, has been picked to play for Team WHL in the Canada-Russia Super Series, which starts Monday in Kelowna. He's scheduled to fly to Kelowna on Sunday. The WHL team also faces the Russians Tuesday night in Kamloops... Since RW Tyler Mrkonjic quit the Cougars and returned to his home in St. Albert on Monday, the Cougars roster remains at 12 forwards, seven defencemen and three goalies.
