The Prince George Cougars are getting the cold shoulder from their American hosts.
Two games into their six-game Western Hockey League U.S. Division tour, the Cougars have been left licking their wounds after two lopsided losses.
They got spanked 6-1 Saturday night by a veteran-laden Everett Silvertips team stocked with nine 19-year-old players. Ranked No. 2 in the Canadian Hockey League’s weekly top-10 poll, the Silvertips certainly lived up to their billing, scoring two goals in the second period and three in the third to hand the Cougars their fourth consecutive loss.
It came less than 24 hours after the Cougars suffered a 4-1 to the Portland Winterhawks, the seventh-ranked major junior hockey team in the country.
The Silvertips have now won 15 of their 19 home games at Angel of the Winds Arena. With a crowd of 5,117 watching, they improved their first-place Western Conference record to 29-7-2-2 at the expense of the Cougars, who dropped to 17-21-1-1 and they remain sixth in the conference.
Jackson Berezowski and Ryan Hofer each scored twice to lead the Silvertips, who outshot the Cougars 54-16. Hofer scored back-to back goals in the second period to give the Silvertips a 3-1 after 40 minutes.
Alex Swetlikoff scored on a power play early in the third period and Niko Huuhtanen, at even strength late in the game, capped off the fireworks. Hudson Thornton was the Cougars’ marksman when he banked a shot in off goalie Koen MacInnes from a sharp angle on a Prince George power play 18:46 into the game.
Ty Young made 48 saves in the Cougar nets as the most outstanding Cougar in the game. He blocked 20 of 21 shots in the first period and made 20 more saves in the second period. In his last two games combined, Young has stopped 93 shots.
The Cougars will be in Kennewick, Wash., for their next game Tuesday against the Tri-City Americans. They’ll also face the Spokane Chiefs in Wednesday, play the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday and return to Everett to take on the Silvertips in the final game of the trip on Saturday.
The Cougars return to CN Centre Feb. 11-12 when they host the Vancouver Giants in a weekend set.
The Cougars dressed seven defencemen and 11 forwards, with forward Jonny Hooker still out with a shoulder injury sustained late in the second period of Friday’s game in Portland.
Cougars defenceman Jonas Brøndberg played his 100th career regular season game Saturday.
with files from Fraser Rodgers.
Saturday summary
Cougars 1 at Silvertips 6
Scoring
Cougars: Hudson Thornton
Silvertips: Jackson Berezowski (2), Ryan Hofer (2), Alex Swetlikoff, Niko Huuhtanen
Goaltending
Cougars: Ty Young (L), 60:00, 48 saves, 54 shots
Silvertips: Koen MacInnes (W), 60:00, 15 saves, 16 shots
Power plays
Cougars: 1/3
Silvertips: 1/4
Shots
Cougars: 16
Silvertips: 54
Three Stars: 1) Jackson Berezowski 2) Ryan Hofer 3) Ben Hemmerling
