Never say die.
The Prince George Cougars looked to be down and out, losing 2-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds with only a half-minute left on the clock when Jansen Harkins decided it wasn't over yet Friday night in Kent, Wash.
With goalie Ty Edmonds on the bench and Seattle defenceman Jared Hauf serving a hooking penalty, Harkins took the puck across the blueline and dished it to linemate Jesse Gabrielle. Harkins accepted a quick return feed and buried a wristshot in over the glove of Thunderbirds goalie Landon Bow to tie the game 2-2 with 28 seconds left in regulation time.
The Cougars had been outshot 22-1 when Harkins fired the equalizer, forcing overtime in Game 1 of the WHL Western Conference quarterfinal series with the T-birds.
But the T-birds found a way to win it, 11:50 into overtime. Cavin Leth took the puck in the corner and while spinning, fired a high wrist shot that winger Andreas Schumacher tipped into the short side to give Seattle the 3-2 victory.
Game 2 is set for tonight in Kent, Wash (7:05 p.m. start)
The reason the Cougars were able to force overtime was Edmonds. The 19-year-old goalie stole the show, especially in the third period, making 21 saves, while the T-birds threw everything they had at him.
The only shot that beat him in the third period came at the 16:34 mark, when Alexander True popped in a loose puck to give Seattle its first lead of the game. On the play, Cougars winger Brad Morrison was on his knees and in the net behind Edmonds trying to make the save. Morrison tried to knock the puck to safety with his stick under Edmonds' equipment but it came loose to True, who chipped it over the line.
The Cougars opened the scoring on a power play, 6:51 into the second period. Morrison spotted Jesse Gabrielle in shooting range in the face-off circle and he made it count.
The Cougars' penalty killers held the league's third-ranked power play at bay, killing off four minors to keep the Cats ahead 1-0 until the late stages of the second period.
Cougars winger Bartek Bison was about to get sent off on a delayed call for dumping a Seattle player when Alexander True took the puck out of the corner and fed a perfect pass to Donovan Neuls, who whipped the puck past Edmonds to tie it up with less than two minutes left in the second period.
The shots ended up 50-23 in favour of the T-birds.
The Cougars went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Seattle was 0-for-5.
The series switches to Prince George for Games 3 and 4 at CN Centre Tuesday and Wednesday.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Brandon Wheat Kings find themselves down two games to none in their Eastern Conference series with the Edmonton Oil Kings, who beat the top-ranked Wheaties 2-1 Friday in Brandon. Edmonton, the eighth seed in the East, opened with a 4-2 win on Thursday.
Game 1 summary
WHL playoffs
Prince George Cougars vs. Seattle Thunderbirds
T-birds lead best-of-seven series 1-0
Friday summary
Cougars 2 at Thunderbirds 3 (OT)
First Period
No scoring.
Penalties -- O'Brien PG (holding) 1:59, Eansor Sea (hooking) 11:55, Olson PG (cross-checking) 17:19.
Second Period
1. Prince George, Gabrielle 1 (Morrison, Harkins) 6:51 (pp)
2. Seattle, Neuls 1 (True, Schumacher) 18:09
Penalties -- Lakusta PG (hooking) 2:44, Hauf Sea (interference) 5:47, Harkins PG (holding) 12:53, Ottenbreit Sea (hooking) 19:41.
Third Period
3. Seattle, True 1 (Leth, Hauf) 16:14
4. Prince George, Harkins 1 (Gabrielle, Carvalho) 19:32 (pp)
Penalties -- Harkins PG (high-sticking) 5:18, True Sea (slashing) 11:55, Hauf Sea (hooking) 18:16.
Overtime
5. Seattle, Schumacher 1 (Leth, True) 11:50
Penalties -- None.
Shots on goal by
Prince George 9/8/2/4 -- 23
Seattle 12/7/22/9/ -- 50
Goal -- Prince George, Edmonds (0-0-0); Seattle, Bow (0-0-0).
Power plays -- PG: 2-5; Sea: 0-5.
Referees -- Mark Pearce, Steve Papp; Linesmen -- Nick Bilko, Bevan Mills.
Attendance -- 4,046.
Scratches -- Prince George: D Max Martin (healthy), D. Luka Zorko (healthy), LW Kolby Johnson healthy), LW Jackson Lepard (healthy), RW Josh Curtis (healthy), D Josh Anderson (back injury, out for season), RW Adam Kadlec (healthy); Seattle: D Bryan Allbee (upper body, da-to-day), LW Ryan Gropp (upper body, day-to-day), D Jared Pelechaty (healthy), RW Owen Seidel (upper body, out for season), RW Luke Ormsby (undetermined injury), RW Luke Osterman (healthy).
