Taylor Stefishen is already living up to his New Year's resolution.
The 20-year-old Prince George Cougars veteran wants to score more often in 2011 and let his stick do the talking with two goals in a 5-2 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors Sunday afternoon at CN Centre.
His eighth and ninth goals of the season put the Warriors down 3-1 before the first intermission and the Cats banded together the rest of the way to hold off one of the biggest, most physically-imposing teams in the Western Hockey League.
"It was definitely a good game and it felt good to get the two goals but the two points was even bigger," said Stefishen. "We just kept swarming the net and to come out of the first period with a two-goal lead was obviously our main focus.
"It was a strong performance from everyone. One of the keys to our second half is to make sure teams coming in here know it's going to be a battle, and I think we've done that so far."
Now 4-1-0-0 on their current homestand, the Cougars picked up where they left off in Saturday's dominating 5-0 win over Chilliwack and had the Warriors on the run from the opening puck drop. Charles Inglis fired up the offence with a wrist shot from the corner with 5:21 gone in the first period, his first of two goals and three points in the game. But just 14 seconds later Joey Kornelson tied it, picking up a rebound of a high shot off the glass.
Stefishen's wide deke put the Cougars ahead less than a minute later, set up by linemate Spencer Asuchak, who picked off a clearing attempt and slid a pass between the legs of a Warrior defender.
The game-winner came late in the first period on a Prince George power play. James Dobrowolski's attempt to feed the puck into a crowd in front of Warriors goalie Brandon Stone defected off a Warriors defenceman and landed at the far edge of the crease and Stefishen dove to jam it into the net.
"We know he's an offensive-minded player and he's kind of been snakebitten this year, but good things come to those who wait and tonight was his night," said Cougars assistant coach Jason Becker.
With 1:05 gone in the third, Michal Hlinka cut the lead to 4-2 , but Nick Buonassisi replied midway through the period, converting a 2-on-1 chance with Greg Fraser to restore the three-goal advantage.
The Cats (20-15-2-1) ended a three-game win streak for the Warriors (23-14-0-2) and moved back into first place in the B.C. Division, one point ahead of Kelowna.
The game marked the WHL debut of 15-year-old centre Alex Forsberg, whom the Cougars picked first overall in the 2010 bantam draft. Forsberg had one point-blank scoring chance playing on a line with Dobrowolski and Stefishen but nailed Stone in the chest with the shot.
KITTY LITTER: Cougars defenceman Martin Marincin returned from the world junior hockey championship in Buffalo and was in the stands Sunday but was not allowed to dress for the game. The 18-year-old was suspended for four games while playing for Slovakia in the world junior hockey tournament for an elbow to the head of American player Jason Zucker on Tuesday. Marincin missed three tournament games and Sunday's WHL game against Moose Jaw, which means he will be available Friday, when the Cougars host the Vancouver Giants... Forsberg, who turns 16 on Tuesday will remain with the Cats for the entire week.
