The Kamloops Blazers pushed it the limit, riding a wild roller coaster with the Prince George Cougars as long as they could hang on.
But with a chance to end it in overtime on a power play with Joe Kornelsen off for tripping, Todd Fiddler and the Cougars would not be denied.
Fiddler was on the receiving end of Troy Bourke backhand pass and the newest Cougar jammed the puck into the net behind Taran Kozun to give the Cougars an 8-7 win Sunday night in Kamloops. It was the third goal of the night for Fiddler, who also picked up two assists in his third game since joining the Cougars last week in a trade from Moose Jaw.
The win helped salvage what had been a weekend of disappointment for the Cougars, who lost in Kelowna and Vancouver.
There were six lead changes in Sunday's game. The Cougars jumped in front 7-6 on a power play 13:40 into the third, the first goal of defenceman Joe Carvalho's 59-game WHL career, after Fiddler had erased a one-goal deficit earlier in the period. But that lead lasted only lasted a couple minutes when Austin Sterzer scored his second of the game on Cougars relief goalie Brett Zarowny.
Alex Forsberg, with a goal and two assists, Zach Pochiro, Jordan Tkatch, and Chase Witala, with his team-leading 12th of the season, also scored for Prince George. Chase Souto, with two, Macklin, Cole Ully and Tyson Ness were the Blazer goalscorers.
Ty Edmonds was replaced in the Prince George nets after allowing six goals on 37 shots through two periods. Brett Zarowny gave up one goal on seven shots.
"I'm sure there have been games like this all over the place but personally it was the first time I've been part of street hockey game inside of an arena," said Cougars assistant coach Jason Becker. "It was an exciting game for the fans but I think for both staffs on the Blazer bench and our bench, I think we're all grayer for it.
"Tonight, our top six players were out top six. They were in full control of this game and created opportunity after opportunity and they were rewarded. We've been battling the scoring bug and for us to score eight like we did is a testament to how hard they worked."
Forsberg completed the Gordie Howe hat trick with his third-period fight with Blazer left winger Aaron Macklin in retaliation for Macklin's knee-on-knee hit on Brett Roulston, who had to be helped off the ice after he was kneed by Macklin while carrying the puck in the third period. Macklin was not penalized for the hit.
"For Alex to step in the way he did, that definitely sparked the bench," said Becker. "He took on a tough customer from Kamloops and the guys recognized that and I think it was a rallying point for them."
The Cougars went 3-for-6 on the power play while Kamloops was 1-for-5. Shots were 54-44 Cougars in front of 3,791 spectators.
The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Cougars (8-11-1-3) who now turn their attentions to the Medicine Hat Tigers (13-3-3-0), the top team in the WHL Eastern Conference, who will meet the Cougars tonight (7 p.m.) at CN Centre.
Saturday night in Vancouver the Cougars were thoroughly outclassed in a 5-1 loss to the Giants. Goals by Brett Kulak, Dmitry Osipov and Jackson Houck chased starter Edmonds from the game 5:36 into the second period. Kulak and Tim Traber scored on Zarowny. Bourke was the long Cougar to score on Payton Lee, who made 21 saves as the Cats were outshot 40-22.
The Cougars started their trip Friday in Kelowna, where they gave up four third-period goals and lost 5-2 to the Rockets.
The Cougars were missing D Marc McNulty, who got hurt in Kelowna, and RW Jari Erricson, who suffered a concussion in the third game of the season Sept. 22 in Tri-City in a fight with Americans tough guy Jessey Astles.
