For the first time this season, the Prince George Cougars will welcome a division rival to CN Centre. Tonight, the Prince George Cougars welcome the Kelowna Rockets to CN Centre for the first of eight meetings against them.

Overview:

Ryan Huska’s Kelowna Rockets are 2-2-1-0 to start the 2012-2013 campaign. The Rockets are coming off a dominant 7-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday, and will no doubt be feeling confident about that result.

Who’s Up Front:

Leading the way up front for Kelowna is their captain, and a 2012 draft pick of the Nashville Predators, Colton Sissons. Sissons has notched seven points in five games, and is also a +5 so far this season. Both of Sissons’ goals have come on the power play, so the Cougars will need to be mindful of that tonight.

Who’s on D:

19-year-old forward Myles Bell is tied with Sissons for the team lead in scoring and leads the Rockets in goals with four. Bell can do it all: Score, defend, fight, and skate. He will definitely be one of the keys to Kelowna’s success this weekend, and the Cougars will have to be aware of when he’s on the ice.

Who’s in Goal:

So far, so good for 19-year-old goaltender Jordan Cooke. Though his record is 2-2-1-0, his numbers are staggering. Cooke has a .925% save percentage and a goals against average of 2.58 to start the season. The Rockets have a lot of confidence in Cooke, and the Cougars are going to need to test him early and often tonight to try and get him off his game. Cooke’s backup is Jackson Whistle, who has yet to appear in a game this season for Kelowna. Could tonight be the night?

X-Factor:

In addition to Myles Bell, the Rockets also have two other extremely potent offensive weapons from the back-end. Both Madison Bowey and Damon Severson are strong two-way defenders that can beat you at both ends of the ice. Severson was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, while Bowey is slated to be an early pick in 2013. The best course of action for the Cougars will be to keep the Rockets pinned in their own zone as often as possible.

Overview:

Dean Clark’s Prince George Cougars (3-0-1-0) head into tonight’s game with a four-game point streak. They are current tied for second in the B.C. Division with Kamloops, and along with the Rockets have scored the most goals of any team in the Western Conference. They have also surrendered the second fewest goals against in the West.

Who’s Up Front:

Cougars forwards Colin Jacobs and Alex Forsberg are each riding four-game point streaks heading into tonight. Jacobs still finds himself atop the WHL leader board in points, and you know that the Rockets are going to try anything in their power to keep that duo silenced. Another strong outing from Jacobs and Forsberg should give the Cougars a great chance to win tonight.

Who’s on D:

The Cougars defensive success this season has been due in large part to a strong group effort, and that message doesn’t change tonight. Defensively the Cougars are going to need to patrol the front of their net, and eliminate a lot of second and third chance opportunities. The Cougars have an abundance of size and they’ll need to establish themselves physically early on, and make sure Kelowna knows that they’ll have to earn every square inch of ice in the offensive zone.

Who’s in Goal:

Both Devon Fordyce and Brett Zarowny have started twice, and each goaltender has shown early signs of success in 2012-2013. These two younger goaltenders continue to push each other for playing time, and regardless of who gets the start tonight, it will be key for the Cougars netminder to at least match the performance at the other end. Goaltending is often the difference in games, and tonight the Cougars are hoping that the September success in goal can translate into October.

X-Factor:

Last season in eight games against Kelowna, Troy Bourke posted seven points. There is no denying Troy Bourke’s ability, and you know that sooner rather than later he and his linemates Daulton Siwak and Jari Erricson are going to break out and score in bunches. If Bourke can continue to do the little things correctly, than the offense is soon to follow. A big weekend from Bourke would be invaluable to the Cougars in their quest for victory against the Rockets this weekend.