Close, but no cigar.
The Prince George Cougars had to settle for a single point Wednesday after losing 4-3 in a shootout to the Tri-City Americans.
Nolan Yaremko and Isaac Johnson each connected for the only goals of the shootout to spoil the celebration for a sparse Cougar crowd at CN Centre.
The Americans (8-4-0-0) moved into second place in the U.S. Division. They've won their last four games. The Cougars (5-6-0-2) remain third in the B.C. Division.
The Cougars had a chance to end it in overtime when Americans defenceman Mitchell Brown was forced to hook Josh Curtis - sprung on a lead pass from Joel Lakusta. But the Cats' power play failed to convert with 1:18 to work with before the shootout. They ended the game 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Americans went 2-for-5.
Down 3-1 to start the third period, the Americans came out with an all-out blitz and tied it up. Their forechecking forced the Cougars to take a penalty in the opening minute of the period and on the ensuing power play Parker AuCoin went to the short side and tucked one in behind Isaiah DiLaura. The Cougars suffered a noticeable energy dip in the final period and were outshot 11-4.
The equalizer came when Cougars winger Jackson Leppard got caught trying to stickhandle out of his own zone. Sasha Mutala stole the puck and fed it to Czech import Krystof Hrabik, who scored with a low shot from the slot.
In the first game of the series Tuesday the Cougars generated plenty of chances but lacked finish around the Tri-City net and suffered the consequences, losing 5-1. They shook off those demons early on in the rematch with two quick goals.
Cole Moberg jumped into the rush from his point position and tried to centre the puck but it hit the stick of Americans defenceman Samuel Stewart and slid into the net.
Josh Maser got into the scoring act 75 seconds later, collecting a big rebound kicked out by goalie Beck Warm after Ilijah Colina unloaded a shot, set up by a pass from Josh Curtis. With that assist, Curtis extended his point streak to six games.
The Americans started the second period with a power-play goal 1:55 into the period, a face-off circle one-timer from Yaremko. The Cougars' power play, which had dipped to a league-worst 4-for-52 clip, finally struck oil, restoring the two-goal lead 10:38 into the second. The goal came right after Moberg forced Warm to make a tough save with a close-range blast from the side of the ice. Moberg got the puck behind the net for Ethan Browne and he fed Rhett Rhinehart for his first of the season, a low slapper to Warm's stick side.
The Cougars will have few days to rest up before they board the bus to Kelowna Friday to play the Rockets on Saturday.
LOOSE PUCKS: Attendance was announced at 2,130, slightly worse than Tuesday's 2,162 crowd count. Those are the two smallest CN Centre crowds through seven games this season... The Americans are now three games into an 11-game stretch of games on the road (nearly a third of the season total of 34)... Americans head coach Kelly Buchberger made his first visit to the visitors' bench at CN Centre. The former Moose Jaw Warrior, a 51-year-old native of Langenburg, Sask., played 1,182 regular-season games and 97 in the playoffs in a 17-season NHL career as a right winger with Edmonton, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Pittsburgh. He was an assistant coach last season with the New York Islanders. Buchberger and Cougars GM Mark Lamb are best friends, dating back to their playing days with the Oilers... Leppard had to be helped off the ice late in the first period after Americans right winger Blake Stevenson levelled him with a high hit at centre ice. Stevenson made contact with Leppard's head. Stevenson was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct. Leppard returned to the game halfway through the five-minute penalty.
Wednesday's summary
Americans 4 at Cougars 3 (SO)
First Period
1. Prince George, Moberg 3 (Boyle) 6:06
2. Prince George, Maser 2 (Colina, Curtis) 7:21
Penalties - Bouchard TC (tripping) 4:07, Stevenson TC (check to the head major, game misconduct) 15:35.
Second Period
3. Tri-City, Yaremko 9 (Stewart, Johnson) 2:16 (pp)
4. Prince George, Rhinehart 1 (Browne, Moberg) 10:35 (pp)
Penalties - Rhinehart PG (cross-checking) 1:55, Lakusta PG (slashing) 2:16, Schiemann TC (roughing), MacLean PG (roughing) 8:08, Johnson TC (slashing) 10:02,
Third Period
5. Tri-City, AuCoin 8 (Johnson, Stewart) 1:22 (pp)
6. Tri-City, Hrabik 3 (Mutala) 8:32
Penalties - Maser PG (high-sticking) 0:39, Mutala TC (hooking) 9:58, Sawchuk TC(delay of game) 11:46, Boyle PG (goaltender interference) 14:16.
Overtime
No scoring
Penalties - Brown TC (hooking) 3:42.
Shootout
TC: Yaremko - scored; AuCoin - missed; Johnson - scored; PG: Browne - missed; Mikhalchuk - missed.
Shots on goal by
Tri-City 9 9 11 0 -29
Prince George 10 16 4 3 -33
Goal - Tri-City, Warm (W7-4-0-0); Prince George, DiLaura (L1-1-0-1).
Power plays - TC: 2-5; PG: 1-7.
Referees - Adam Griffiths, Mike Campbell; Linesmen - Michael McGowan, Anthony Malletta.
Attendance - 2,130.
Scratches - Tri-City: D Bruce Riley (suspended), C Michael Rasmussen (with Detroit, NHL), RW Paycen Bjorklund (upper body, four-six weeks), D Jayden Platz (healthy), D Anthony Bishop (upper body, four weeks); Prince George: C Connor Bowie (healthy), RW Reid Perepeluk (healthy), D Cam MacPhee (lower body).
