The Prince George Cougars and the Spokane Chiefs are about to get very acquainted with one another. Tonight the Cougars and Chiefs will do battle for the first of three consecutive games, with the first one going tonight followed by two games in Prince George on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Overview:

The Spokane Chiefs head into tonight’s game with a record of 7-3. Their 14 point total has them alone in third place in the U.S. Division. The Chiefs were 2-1 winners last night against Seattle.

Who’s Up Front:

Leading the way for Spokane up front is 19-year-old forward Mitch Holmberg. Holmberg has scored 10 goals and leads the way with 19 points. Holmberg also leads the Chiefs with four power play goals on the season.

Who’s on D:

Brenden Kichton has long been considered one of the top offensive blueliners in the WHL, and this season is no exception. So far the 20-year-old has put up 12 points in 10 games, and has contributed two power play goals to the Chiefs attack so far this season. The Cougars can expect to see a ton of Brenden Kichton in tonight’s game.

Who’s in Goal:

19-year-old netminder Eric Williams has seen a bulk of the load to start this season for Spokane. Williams faced 15 shots and stopped 14 of them during yesterday’s 2-1 win over Seattle, and up to this point he has secured five of Spokane’s six victories to start this season. Backup Garret Hughson has yet to make his WHL regular season debut, and tonight could be the night.

X-Factor:

The Spokane Chiefs are lethal on the man advantage. So far this season Spokane has scored 12 times with the extra attacker, and have a 30.8 percent success rate through 10 games. The Cougars penalty kill was strong Thursday in Kelowna, and they’ll need to put forth a similar effort in Spokane and minimize their opportunities with the extra attacker.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars head into tonight’s game looking to snap a four game losing streak. The Cougars put forth a strong effort in Kelowna Thursday, but were not rewarded offensively for their efforts. The key for the Cougars will be to stay the course, and not let frustration get the best of them. All teams go through some adversity throughout a season, and this young Cougars squad is ready to break out.

Who’s Up Front:

Cougars forward Troy Bourke led all Cougars last season with seven points in four games against the Spokane Chiefs. Bourke is always dangerous when he’s on the ice, and he has the ability to change a game every shift he’s out there. A big night from Bourke and his linemates would be a big boost for the Cougars as they wrap up their road trip.

Who’s on D:

Spokane is not the easiest place to play, and the Cougars are going to need to reply on their experienced defense to lead the way when things get tough. Dan Gibb and Dallas Ehrhardt will have to lead the way by keeping things calm, simple and effective on the back-end. If the two vets can establish themselves early and stick to their strengths, the younger Cougars defenders are bound to follow suite.

Who’s in Goal:

Former Spokane Chiefs netminder Mac Engel made his first Cougars start on Thursday and he stopped 23 of the 26 shots he faced. Engel was sharp, making several difficult saves, and showed some good poise and confidence between the pipes for Prince George. Whether it’s Mac Engel or Brett Zarowny tonight, both will have to be prepared for a confident Spokane team who has already earned two points this weekend.

X-Factor:

You get the feeling that once the Cougars score once, they are going to come in bunches. A major key for the Cougars tonight will be restoring some offensive confidence. The Spokane Chiefs only surrendered 15 shots against last night versus Seattle, and the Cougars will need to get lots of pucks towards the goal, and lots of traffic in front of the Chiefs net. The Cougars have shown this season that they can score in waves, and hopefully tonight can be the night where they are rewarded for their offensive efforts.