Drew Owsley saved something special for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
He showed them what a human wall looks like while guarding the crease, leading the Prince George Cougars to pair of victories last weekend at CN Centre, their first weekend series sweep of the season on home ice.
"The Owl" allowed just five goals on 99 shots, taking on the team he used to cheer for as a kid growing up in Lethbridge. As a 20 year old in his last season of junior hockey, Owsley has been playing every game like it's his last, and that's got the Cougars within striking distance of a playoff position.
"I've been playing lots lately and when you're playing back-to-back games it gets easier and gets you into a bit of a comfort zone," said Owsley, who ranks 13th in the WHL with a 2.94 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.
"Obviously I like the way I'm playing and it was two big wins for us. I grew up watching them and any time you play your hometown team it's a treat. The team played well this weekend. I think we'd been gripping the sticks a bit too tight coming into the weekend but we finally got some to go in and that was huge. Hopefully the floodgates have opened for us coming up. We'll have to bring our best efforts every game this week to get a chance to win."
Trailing Victoria by just one point for the eighth and final playoff spot, the Cougars (15-26-0-2) now have to get their road show together for a three-game tour of Alberta. They play in Edmonton tonight (6 p.m., 99.3 FM The Drive), then travel to Calgary for a Friday game, ending the trip on Saturday in Red Deer. So far this season, Prince George is 9-13-0-1 away from home.
Devon Fordyce, 17, will be there to back up the Cougars in net, but considering how well Owsley has been playing lately, it would be a surprise to not see him start all three games.
"He's given us a chance to win every game from Day 1 here, he's a 20 year old who wants to win and he shows that every night with the way he competes and we're lucky to have him as our goalie," said Cougars assistant coach Jason Becker.
After stumbling through five games with only two goals, all losses, the Cougars finally broke the shackles off their wrists, scoring 10 goals in the two Lethbridge games. Winger Troy Bourke, 17, who grew up close to Edmonton in Onoway, Alta., is looking forward to more of that kind of offensive action in his return to his old stomping grounds.
"I've got a lot of buddies and my family coming out to my games and it'll be nice to see them and we mean business," said Bourke. "The Oil Kings are the top in their division and we have to bring the same intensity and the same offence and we'll be fine. We haven't been great at home all season but now that we've got the ball rolling it'll keep rolling for us."
Now in their fifth season in their second WHL incarnation as Oil Kings, Edmonton is off to a blazing start, leading the Eastern Conference with a 29-11-1-4 record. The Oil Kings are on a 6-2-0-2 roll in their last 10 games. Michael St. Croix (25g-42a-67pts) leads the team in scoring while Griffin Reinhart and Canadian world junior team member Mark Pysyk anchor the defence, with Laurent Brossant (2.47 GAA, .913 save percentage) the yeoman in net.
"It'll be a tough go, but we played well on the road the first half of the season," said Becker. "We had a couple rough ones to start the new year but obviously with the two wins we'll be more confident going on the road this week."
n The Cougars will be without winger Caleb Belter (upper-body injury), and defenceman Shane Pilling (upper body), both of whom stayed in Prince George. Defenceman Linden Springer (upper body) skated Tuesday in Edmonton and could be ready for tonight. Forward Brock Hirsche (shoulder injury) is out for the season.
n Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks was selected WHL goalie of the week and went on to capture the CHL national weekly award after leading Portland to three wins last week., including a shutout victory over Seattle. Carruth made 95 saves in those three games, finishing the week with 1.00 goals-against average and .969 save percentage.
