PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. - The Prince George Cougars fell 2-1 in overtime to the defending WHL-champion Prince Albert Raiders on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre.
Mathew Culling scored the game-winner 3:34 into overtime for the Raiders who moved past Winnipeg into first place in the East Division with the victory. Ilya Usau scored their other goal, 13-seconds into the third period, and goaltender Max Paddock stopped 20 shots in his Raiders debut.
Jonny Hooker punctuated his Cougars debut with a third period power-play goal off a deflection to help earn a point for the Cougars, who are now 0-0-1-1 in the first two games of their East Division road trip. Taylor Gauthier was the Cougars’ best player Friday, as he stopped 38 of 40 shots, including five of six shots in overtime. He was named the game’s second star.
It was a tight-checking, defensive battle through two scoreless periods, before the two teams traded third-period goals. The Raiders finally broke the scoreless deadlock seconds into the third.
Off the opening face-off, Usau came down the right-wing and scored on a shot near the wall that snuck past Gauthier on the glove side, 13 seconds into the frame. For Usau, it was his 14th of the season.
That Raiders’ lead lasted less than two minutes as the Cougars tied the game on the power-play. Jack Sander took the point-shot and it was Hooker reaching out and redirecting the puck past Paddock at 2:07. That goal was Hooker’s ninth and first in Cougars’ colours acquired in trade Thursday that sent winger Reid Perepeluk to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Despite the loss, the Cougars’ special teams were rock solid. The power-play went 1-for-1 and the penalty kill was a perfect 4-for-4. In fact, the penalty kill had to go to work with 2:17 left in regulation and withstood a Raiders power play in overtime.
Gauthier’s best work came during the Cougars’ penalty kill in overtime. He robbed Kaiden Guhle of a gamewinner with a sliding pad stop after a one-timer from the Raiders’ defenceman. He also snatched Evan Herman’s shot labeled for the top corner with a flashy glove save.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars have won just once in eight games that have gone to overtime or a shootout… Hooker now has two goals in the last three games with his third-period tally… Jack Sander stretched his point streak to five games with his third period assist. He has six points (1-5-6) in those five games… Defenceman Majid Kaddoura also made his Cougars debut on the blueline Friday, after being part of the deal that sent defenceman Rhett Rhinehart to the Saskatoon Blades… Brendan Boyle played in his 100th career game Friday… Ethan Browne returned to the line-up after missing the previous six games... Ilijah Colina (illness), Davin Griffin, and Keaton Dowhaniuk were scratched… The Cougars (10-22-3-4) continue their six-game East Division road trip Saturday against the Saskatoon Blades (20-17-1-2) at 5:00 pm PT (94.3 FM The Goat).
