The Prince George Cougars have been dropping like flies and there's no magic elixir. Time and physiotherapy are what's needed to restore the health of so many injured Cougars, none of whom will be back in time to play the Tri-City Americans this weekend.
"We're going to have eight players missing Friday," said coach Mark Holick. "We'll have three lines and six defencemen. We need to make sure our effort is where it needs to be."
Sicknesses have added to the toll. The Cougars were down to just six forwards at one of their practices this week. With one-third of the starting lineup sidelined last weekend, it was a small miracle the Cougars won one of their two games at home against the Vancouver Giants and a similar scenario is shaping up with the Americans in town.
Holick thought he'd have winger Zach Pochiro back from a concussion by now. He was skating symptom-free last week but his headaches returned. The 19-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect is fifth in team scoring with 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 25 games.
Concussions have taken a severe toll on the Cougars. Nineteen-year-old winger Jari Erricson hasn't played since the third game of the season on Sept. 22 in Kennewick, Wash., home of the Americans, when he scrapped with Tri-City tough guy Jessey Astles. That game ended in a 2-1 Cougars' victory, the only time the two teams have met this season.
Defenceman Tate Olson missed both Vancouver games with a head injury and Brad Morrison has been added to that list. He took a high hit in Saturday's game and hasn't skated since.
The Cougars are also without the services of 18-year-old defenceman Raymond Grewal (sprained ankle), import forward David Soltes (knee) and goalie Brett Zarowny (groin). Zarowny heard a pop from his inner thigh while warming up for Friday's game against Vancouver. He's expected to be out for another month. Matt Kustra is up from the Notre Dame Hounds midget team to back up Ty Edmonds in the Cougars' net.
Captain Troy Bourke won't play tonight while he serves out the remaining game of a three-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit two weeks ago in Red Deer. Bourke, a 19-year-old Colorado Avalanche draft pick, is tied with Chase Witala for the team scoring lead with 29 points. Winger Brett Roulston (leg injury) dressed for the games last weekend but did not play. He should be ready to go tonight.
"We have to get excellent goaltending and we have to be better with our d-zone coverage," said Holick. "We're making a ton of mistakes in our own end. The mental mistakes, for me, are the concern."
The whopping disparity between the two teams is on the defensive side of the ice. The Cougars have allowed 123 goals, averaging 3.96 goals against per game, third-worst in the 22-team WHL, while the Americans rank seventh, having given up 81 goals for a 2.61 per game average.
Americans goalie Eric Comrie is off to a great start in his third WHL season. The 18-year-old from Edmonton sports a 2.41 goals-against average and .926 save percentage and two shutouts.Brian Williams, an 18-year-old from Claremont, Calif., leads Tri-City in scoring with 20 goals and 30 points in 31 games.
Holick is expecting a lot out of defencemen Marc McNulty, Peter Kosterman and Joseph Carvalho, who returned last weekend after missing six games with a broken jaw. Carvalho's mobility as an offensive instigator is key to the Cougars' success this weekend.
"He's a guy who's good at carrying the puck out and his best attribute is his skating," said Holick. "He needs to use it. When he's not skating he's very average. He needs to play the game with his legs."
Game tome tonight is 7 p.m.
