How safe is any lead with the Prince George Cougars these days?
It wasn't as if they were in any jeopardy of losing Wednesday to the Saskatoon Blades, but after jumping ahead 7-2 after one period, their fans back home in Prince George had to be thinking a blowout of epic proportions was the only outcome to expect from Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon.
Obviously embarrassed to allow seven goals on nine shots in the opening period, the Blades responded by outshooting and outscoring the Cougars the rest of the game, but by then the hole they'd dug for themselves was far too deep in what ended up a 10-6 Cougars' triumph.
Sixteen-year-old Prince George native Brad Morrison sparked the Cats offensively with a goal and three assists for a career-high four-point game. Morrison got in on the action with a helper on Troy Bourke's goal to make it 3-0, 8:32 into the game, then set up Jordan Tkatch nine seconds later. Bourke then returned the favour later in the period, stealing the puck from the Blades' defence to feed Morrison, standing alone in the slot for his sixth goal.
"This was one of Brad's best games of the season," said Cougars assistant coach Jason Becker. "He did a great job of moving his feet and he was dangerous in the corners. He's a kid who's not very big -- he looks like he's 10 years old -- but he plays like a man and he's able to go into those areas in the corner and come out with the puck somehow."
Jansen Harkins made it 5-0 with a deflection off his skate to make it 5-0 to chase starting goalie Troy Trembley, who gave up his spot in the crease to Nathan Alalouf, a junior B call-up from the Osoyoos Coyotes. Alalouf allowed the goal from Morrison and was also in net when Cats defenceman Tate Olson, a Saskatoon boy, blasted in his second of the season at 19:05 of the first on a Cougars' power play. Three seconds before the intermission, Connor Sanvido scored the second Saskatoon goal on Ty Edmonds.
In the second period, with Trembley back in net, the Blades got goals from Logan Harland and Ryan Graham (while shorthanded). Zach Pochiro answered late in the period for the Cats, who led 8-4 at that point. It could have been worse for the Cougars if not for Edmonds's leg save to deny Harland's backhanded deke on a penalty shot at 6:37 of the second with the Blades already on a power play.
Pochiro, the scoring hero in Monday's 6-5 shootout win in Prince Albert, joined the 20-goal club with his second of the game, 3:11 into the the third period. Cameron Hebig popped in his second of the night and Mitch Lipon also found the net behind Edmonds before Harkins capped the scoring at 11:31.
"If you look at the defensive zone, I'm sure [Edmonds] wanted a couple of those back tonight but for us, we have to take the positives out of this, we got a win and we buckled down in the last five minutes to lock it down," said Becker. "You never want to give up as many goals as were given up tonight but lucky for us, we're on the good side of it this time."
Olson collected a goal and two assists and Harkins also had a three-point night.
Shots were 42-37, favouring the Blades. The Cougars went 3-for-5 on the power play, while Saskatoon was 1-for-5.
The Cougars (20-26-2-5) will be in Moose Jaw to play the Warriors Friday, then finish their six-game WHL East Division tour Saturday against the Swift Current Broncos. The Cats opened the trip with an 8-0 loss in Regina last Friday, then lost the following night, 6-3 to Brandon.
The Cats remain eight points behind the Tri-City Americans (25-21-2-3), who beat the Hitmen 4-1 Wednesday in Calgary.
