The Prince George Cougars’ timing was rotten.
They rolled into Brandon, Man., Wednesday just in time to face a Brandon Wheat Kings team that’s been playing its best hockey of the season.
The Wheat Kings scored three goals in the third period and reeled off their seventh-straight win, a 4-0 whitewash of Cougars.
Wheaties goalie Jiri Patera, a sixth-round pick of the Vegas Knights in 2017, made 21 saves for the shutout, his 10th regulation win in 14 games since returning from a lower-body injury on Nov. 23. It was Patera’s fourth shutout of the season and it marked the sixth time Prince George has failed to score a goal.
Brandon outshot the Cats 41-21.
The Wheat Kings (22-17-1-2) moved within fourth points of the Prince Albert Raiders for second place in the East Division. The Cougars (11-24-3-4) remained last in the Western Conference, eight points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second wild-card playoff spot and nine back of the Vancouver Giants, who hold down third place in the B.C. Division.
The Cougars ran into penalty trouble in the first period and took a string of four straight minors, one of which led to a Wheat Kings’ goal at the 8:12 mark. Chad Nychuk collected his ninth of the season, seconds after Taylor Gauthier made a nimble save to deny centre Luka Brizan.
Gauthier remained sharp in the second period, making a handful of great saves to keep the Cougars within striking range and they headed into the third period down 1-0. However, third-period comebacks have been non-existent this season for the Cougars, who were 0-18 when trailing after 40 minutes.
The Wheat Kings doubled their pleasure 1:35 into the third period. Marcus Kallionkeili drew the attention of two Cougars checkers along the boards and got the puck to Duncan Pierce, who skated through the slot and lifted a backhander in behind Gauthier for a 2-0 lead.
Connor Gutenberg and Marcus Sekundiak added to the tally, scoring 31 seconds apart.
Brandon went 1-for-6 on the power play and held the Cougars without a sniff on three chances.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars wrap up their longest roadtrip of the season Friday night in Moose Jaw. They’re 1-2-1-1 so far. The Warriors (11-25-2-0, sixth in the East) have lost their last four games…Cougar defenceman Cole Moberg left the game early in the second period after blocking a shot and did not return… The Cougars were without centre Ethan Browne (sick). Left winger Josh Maser played Wednesday despite feeling sick… The Wheat Kings were without two of their best players. Defenceman Braden Schneider, ranked eighth among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-season report, and centre Ridly Greig, the 25th-ranked North American skater, were in Hamilton preparing for Thursday’s CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game… Gauthier is ranked 27th on the list of North American goalies eligible for the NHL draft, June 25-26 in Montreal… Winger Reid Perepeluk, 19, played his second game for the Wheat Kings since being traded from the Cougars last week for 18-year-old left winger Johnny Hooker. Perepeluk, a six-foot-three, 215-pound Yorkton, Sask., native, had four goals and nine points in 31 games with the Cats when the trade was made Thursday. Hooker, a six-foot-one, 186-pound native of Winnipeg, scored for Prince George in their 2-1 overtime loss Friday in Prince Albert and in a 4-1 win Saturday in Saskatoon. He has 10 goals and five assists in 38 games this season.
