Despite a stellar goaltending performance from Drew Owsley the Prince George Cougars losing skid reached five games Tuesday with a 3-2 loss to the Kootenay Ice.
The 20-year-old goaltender made several spectacular saves as the Ice (16-5-1-2) outshot the Cougars (6-16-0-2) 42-20 in the 24th Western Hockey League game of the season for both clubs in front of an announced crowd of 1,605 at CN Centre.
Max Reinhart poked the winning goal past Owsley on a shorthanded breakaway, fending off the check from the Cougars' defenceman, while protecting the puck to tuck it into the open corner for a 3-2 lead. The Cougars coughed up the puck on several occasions on back-to-back power plays early in the third period and it finally cost them.
Campbell Elynuik and Charles Inglis gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead with goals early in the second period, but the Ice wouldn't be denied, buzzing around in the Cougars' zone for the majority of the final 10 minutes of the period.
Elynuik's goal, his third of the season, resulted from his going to the net and finding the puck in the crease. Michael Mylchreest and Jake Mykitiuk picked up the assists. Inglis gave the Cougars' the lead midway through the period on a nice, patient solo effort, getting Ice defenceman John Neibrandt going one way before stepping around him and firing a high wrist shot past Kootenay's 17-year-old goaltender Mackenzie Skapski.
Ice rookie Sam Reinhart tied the game at 2-2 when he took a pass in the slot from Joe Antilla from behind the net and fired a quick shot past Owsley. Max Reinhart also picked up an assist.
It was Sam Reinhart and Antilla's second points of the games as both earned an assist on Joey Leech's goal in the first period, giving the Ice a 1-0 advantage.
Leech left the game with 1:45 remaining in the second period after a Cougars dump-in shot hit the defenceman from Wadena, Sask., on the lower right-side of his jaw. But the Ice's fourth-leading scorer returned for the final period.
It was the first time on the road this season the Ice went into the dressing room tied after 40 minutes. Kootenay has a 5-1-0-1 road record when leading after two periods, and a 0-1-0-1 record when trailing.
Cat scratches
Chase Witala and Austin Daae drew press box duty for the Cougars on Tuesday, along with the injured Brock Hirsche (upper body). Sitting out for the Ice were forwards Erik Benoit (upper body) and Jesse Ismond (team suspension). Ismond is the Ice's second-leading scorer with nine goals and 21 point in 23 games. After the game, Cougars head coach Dean Clark and veteran forward Greg Fraser had their Mo-vember mustaches saved off for charity. The Cougars begin a two-week road trip tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets (8-11-2-1).
