The Prince George Cougars are back in action tonight at CN Centre and are riding a three game winning streak. They stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Seattle 4-3, and for the second straight game proved that they are never out of a game.

Overview:

The Seattle Thunderbirds head into tonight’s game with a record of 1-2-0-0. Though they were on the wrong end of a 4-3 score last night, they can take several positives into tonight’s matchup. They created lots of offense with 33 shots, and played a pretty sound game defensively all things considered. Once again they pose a strong threat to the Prince George Cougars.

Who’s Up Front:

When he’s on his game, Branden Troock is a treat to watch. Troock was named the game’s third star by scoring a goal and being a presence almost every shift. He has great speed and instincts, and it’s no wonder why Dallas chose him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. Branden Troock has all the makings of a premiere player in this league, and once again the Cougars are going to have to be aware of Troock and his linemates when they’re on the ice.

Who’s on D:

Collectively the Seattle Thunderbirds blueline is difficult to play against and they showed exactly why last night. Shea Theodore, Jerret Smith, and Jesse Forsberg can help supply some offense while Jared Hauf, Taylor Green, Evan Wardley use their size and aggressiveness to their advantage. Shea Theodore had a rather quiet night last night for Seattle, so look for him to be one of the more noticeable Thunderbirds tonight.

Who’s in Goal:

Last night we saw rookie Justin Myles get his first start in the Western Hockey League, and while he did lose the game 4-3, he made some tough saves and gave his team a chance to win the hockey game. Tonight the Thunderbirds may decide to roll with 20-year-old Brandon Glover who is 1-1 on the young season.

X-Factor:

The Seattle Thunderbirds have the league’s best powerplays in the early going, but only got to use it once last night to no avail. Though there were only five penalties total in the hockey game, four of them were taken by Seattle. If Seattle wants to leave Prince George with a split they’ll need to win the special teams war tonight.

Overview:

Dean Clark’s Prince George Cougars are 3-0-0-0 and are showing some strong offensive consistency in the early going. They have nine different goal scorers through three games, and 15 of their players have notched at least one point so far. The Cougars have got the community of Prince George buzzing with their early success, and another ‘W’ tonight will only add to that.

Who’s Up Front:

19-year-old forward Colin Jacobs is showing Cougars fans and the rest of the Western Hockey League that he is the real deal. Jacobs added two more points to his totals last night, and is one point back of the WHL scoring lead. He’s scored twice on the penalty shot, quarterbacked the powerplay, and done a little bit of everything for the Cougars in the early stages of the season.

Who’s on D:

Another game, and another point for 20-year-old defenceman Dallas Ehrhardt who is currently riding a three game point streak. Ehrhardt’s four assists leads the Cougars in scoring for defencemen, and Erhardt’s value have really shown on the power play. All of Ehrhardt’s points have come with the man-advantage. Add the fact that Ehrhardt has played some valuable minutes on the back-end, and the Cougars have found themselves a real keeper in Ehrhardt.

Who’s in Goal:

Devon Fordyce was rock-solid for the Cougars from the mid-way point on in last night’s game. After letting in a forgettable third goal, Fordyce bounced back  and looked extremely poised and confident. He played the puck lots, and was square to the shooters and had great rebound control. Fordyce and Brett Zarowny have proven to be a strong goaltending tandem in the early stages of the season, making Dean Clark’s life a lot easier when it comes to choosing a goaltender for a given game.

X-Factor:

Though the Cougars are 3-0-0-0, two of those wins have come after trailing by two or more goals. The big key for the Cougars tonight will be to get a lead and keep a lead in the early going. If the Cougars can stake themselves to a two or three goal lead in their own right, it should make things a little more manageable from an energy and confidence stand-point. If the Cougars can accomplish this, they’re going to be right on track for their fourth straight victory of 2012-2013.