Todd Fiddler was music to the ears of the Prince George Cougars Friday night.
His three-goal, two-assist masterpiece in a 9-5 win over the Kamloops Blazers provided soothing therapy to a wounded team looking to shake the doldrums of a three-game losing streak.
Picking up where he left off Nov. 10 in Kamloops, where he burned the Blazers for five points in a wild 8-7 Cougars' win, Fiddler equalled that output Friday. He and his linemates, Zach Pochiro and Klarc Wilson, were pure kryptonite to the Blazers Friday, combining on a fistful goals to put the Cats ahead 6-1 with almost two periods still to play.
There were some tense moments for the Cougar faithful when the Blazers offence came to life late in the game, but for the most part it was a hockey party the likes of which the Cougars have been waiting all season to throw.
Fiddler, a 20-year-old sniper picked up earlier in the season in a trade with Moose Jaw, gave the Cats the lead on a 3-on-1 rush, 11:05 into the game, and sprung Pochiro on a breakaway a couple minutes later which forced Blazer defenceman Josh Connolly to hook him down. Awarded the penalty shot, Pochiro made it count with a high toe-drag snapper into the net.
Fiddler then fed Wilson for his first of three on the night at the 14-minute mark, cashing in a second whack at the puck. Not long after that, while killing a penalty, the Cougars won the draw in the Kamloops end and Fiddler's hard shot while falling beat goalie Taran Kozun. That made it 6-1 and gave Kozun a seat on the bench, replaced by Bolton Pouliot after giving up five goals on 15 shots.
Wilson welcomed Pouliot to the game by scoring the next two goals in the second period, one on the power play and the other at even strength. The Blazers equalled the Cats' middle frame output with two late goals. Joe Kornelsen connected on a power play and Connolly, who played all his minor hockey in Prince George, made it 7-3 with a one-timer past Ty Edmonds.
All of a sudden, the Blazers had some hope, and they made it even more interesting to start the third period when Kornelsen banged in another redirect on a Kamloops power play. Jordan Tkatch, for the Cougars, and Ryan Rehill of the Blazers, and Fiddler, with his hat trick goal, finished off the scoring.
The win improved the Cougars' record to 15-21-2-3, while Kamloops dropped to 10-26-2-2. The same teams meet again tonight (7 p.m.).
LOOSE PUCKS: Tkatch is now wearing a letter as an assistant captain on the night Cougar fans voted him the Hubbell Designer Goldsmiths player of the month award winner for December. Tkatch, an 18-year-old from Prud'Homme, Sask., scored six goals and added five assists in December... The Cougars were without six injured players -- forwards Chase Witala, Jari Erricson, David Soltes, and Brett Roulston, as well as defenceman Peter Kosterman and goalie Brett Zarowny. Also missing were forwards Jansen Harkins and Brad Morrison (playing for Team Pacific at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge) and defenceman Tate Olson (with Team West at the U-17 tournament)... Fifteen-year-old winger Kody McDonald played his fourth game for the Cougars and the five-foot-11, 190-pound native of Lethbridge looked like he belonged in the WHL.
