It was one of those nights when just about everything that could go right, did for the Prince George Cougars.
As for the Edmonton Oil Kings, 11-3 losers to the Cougars Saturday night in Edmonton, let’s just say they’re young team in rebuilding mode.
How good was it for the Cats?
Their 11-goal outburst cinched their 19th road victory this season, setting a new franchise record, which kept the Cougars (35-14-3-0) nine points ahead of the second-place Kamloops Blazers atop the Western Hockey League’s B.C. Division.
It could not have been a better homecoming for Colby McAuley. Born and raised in the Edmonton suburb, Sherwood Park, the 20-year-old winger had the most productive night of his three-year WHL career with two goals and two assists as the game’s first star.
Cougar centre Jansen Harkins finished with four assists, and he only needed two to set a new franchise high for career assists, breaking Troy Bourke’s record set two years ago.
Radovan Bondra picked up two goals and an assist to take over as the Cougars’ leading goalscorer this season with 25. The just-turned-20-year-old Slovakian has six goals and 11 points in 10 games since joining the Cougars in a trade from Vancouver.
On this night, only four Cougar skaters failed to make the scoresheet.
Heck, even Josh Anderson got in on the act, the first goal in 69 games for the third-year defensive defenceman. Anderson’s goal, his fourth in three seasons, came with 57 seconds left on a Cougar power play, which was a story in itself. The Cats’ beleaguered power play, which still ranks near the bottom of the league, was deadly efficient, going 4-for-5 against the Oil Kings.
Rookie Jackson Leppard picked up his first career WHL point, an assist on Aaron Boyd’s goal in the second period, part of a three-goal, 38-second outburst for the Cougars. McAuley started it with a power-play goal and Brogan O’Brien scored 13 seconds after Boyd to make it an 8-2 count. O’Brien, who scrapped with Ty Gerla in the second period, completed the Gordie Howe hat trick when he scored his ninth of the season.
The Cats had nine different goalscorers. Brad Morrison, Tate Olson and Kody McDonald also lit the lamp. Tyler Robertson had two for Edmonton and Will Warm fired a single.
Nick McBride made 19 saves to earn his fourth-straight win in the Prince George nets.
The Cougars doubled their opponent in shots, 44-22. Patrick Dea took the loss, stopping 21 of 29 shots before Josh Dechaine replaced him for the third period. Dechaine gave up three goals on 15 shots.
The same teams meet again Sunday at 3 p.m. PT (CIRX The Goat, 94.3 FM).
LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars hadn’t scored 11 goals in a game since Oct. 5, 2001, when they beat Medicine Hat 11-5 at CN Centre. Dan Hamhuis had five assists in that game and Blake Robson had three goals and two assists…. Cougars winger Nikita Popugaev missed Saturday’s game and won’t play Sunday. He’s in Quebec City to play in the Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Monday (4 p.m. PT, Sportsnet). The 18-year-old Russian import, ranked as a likely first-round draft pick in the NHL draft in June, will suit up for Team Orr.
