Chase Witala earned himself place in the Prince George Cougars’ record book Saturday night in Moose Jaw.
The 20-year-old winger scored his 31st goal of the season and 111th of his five-season career to tie former Cougar captain Eric Hunter for the all-time lead in goals.
Witala’s goal, his first of four points Saturday, was part of a four-goal eruption in a span of 2:38 which led to a 6-2 victory for the visiting Cougars over the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Kody McDonald got it going for the Cats on their first power play of the game with a low slapper from the point, 7:02 into the game. Witala then put on a burst of speed to catch up to a left-wing pass from linemate Jesse Gabrielle for the redirect past Warriors goalie Zach Sawchenko at 7:58.
Then it was Jansen Harkins’s turn to get into the act. He picked up the rebound of a shot from the point from Shane Collins and went wide through the crease to find an opening behind Sawchenko at the 9:16 mark.
Brogan O’Brien made it a 4-0 count at 9:40, tipping in Gabrielle’s quick pass from the corner.
Witala got off to a slow start in the scoring department this season with just four goals in his first 16 games but made up for that with 27 goals in his next 35 games. He now has 217 career regular season points and is within 19 points of tying Troy Bourke’s career total of 236 points set in 2014. The undrafted Witala is drawing plenty of attention from NHL scouts.
“He struggled early for whatever reason but he’s played real well as of late, these last few months he’s been pretty good for us,” said Cougars head coach Mark Holick.
The Warriors have considerable firepower with the likes of Dryden Hunt, who already had 70 points leading into Saturday’s game, and Brayden Point, Canada’s world junior team captain, who was on a two-point-per-game pace with 54 for the season. But led by their captain, defenceman Sam Ruopp, the game’s second star, the Cougars used their speed and physicality to keep the Warriors’ big guns quiet.
“We obviously got off to a good start and stayed the course,” said Holick. “I thought we held them in check pretty good. I don’t think we let our foot off.”
Brett Howden got Moose Jaw on the board late in the first period, deflecting in a backhand shot from Jayden Halbgewachs while Cougar goalie Nick McBride was flat on his back after getting knocked down in his crease by a falling Howden.
Halbgewachs made it interesting with the only goal of the second period to cut the lead to 4-2, but Bartek Bison gave the Cats some breathing room with 9:19 gone in the third period, the fifth of the season for the 18-year-old native of Amsterdam. Harkins finished off the scoring with his second of the game and 17th this season, set up by a pass from Witala at the 16:40 mark with the Moose Jaw goalie on the bench.
McBride, in his first start in the Cougars nets since Jan. 30, picked up his 10th win of the season, making 33 saves. Shots were 35-35.
“Nicky made some pretty big saves for us,” added Holick. “We took a couple minors (penalties) we maybe didn’t need to take but our PK was good (Moose Jaw went 0-for-6 on the power play) and Nicky was part of it and made the saves when called upon.”
The Cougars began started their East Division tour Friday with a 4-3 loss in overtime in Swift Current. They’ll try to improve on their 30-18-2-1 record Tuesday night when they play the Blades in Saskatoon. The Cats play in Prince Albert on Wednesday, Brandon on Friday and finish off Saturday in Regina.
LOOSE PUCKS: Cougars defenceman Max Martin is on the trip with the team but Holick said the 16-year-old Manitoba native won’t play. He’s played just one game this season after having shoulder surgery in October.
