The Prince George Cougars have arrived at the quarter-mark of their regular season. Tonight, is the 18^th game of 72 for the Cougars, and for the first time they’ll go toe-to-toe with the defending WHL champs, the Edmonton Oil Kings. A win for the Cougars would vault them back to a .500 record, and possibly into a tie for third place in the B.C. Division.

Overview:

Derek Laxdal’s Edmonton Oil Kings come into tonight’s game with an overall record of 11-5-1-2. Edmonton is 1-1 so far on their current Western road trip, and will be playing their third game in four nights tonight when they take the ice in Prince George.

Who’s Up Front:

The Edmonton Oil Kings have four different forwards who are averaging at least a point-per-game through their first 19 games. Leading the way, once again for Edmonton is 19-year-old forward Michael St. Croix. The New York Rangers prospect has scored 11 goals and has added 14 assists for 25 points. He leads all Oil Kings with seven power play goals and is one of their most consistent performers on a nightly basis.

Who’s on D:

The Edmonton Oil King’s blueline is as good as it gets in the Western Hockey League. This season they don’t have anybody that jumps off the screen at you offensively, but it’s hard to ignore the steady play of 18-year-old New York Islanders’ prospect, Griffin Reinhart. Reinhart is the Oil Kings captain, and combines size and skill in a way that is almost un-matched in the WHL.

Who’s in Goal:

In goal, the Oil Kings have two strong options in 19-year-old Laurent Brossoit and 17-year-old Tristan Jarry. This season Brossoit is 8-2-1-2 with a 2.65 goals against average and a save percentage of .902%. Tristan Jarry’s numbers are stellar with a goals against average of 1.51, and a save percentage of .938%. Odds are that we might see both of these goaltenders at some point this weekend.

X-Factor:

The greatest strength of the Edmonton Oil Kings is their depth. This is a team that can come at you in waves, and they do so with balanced scoring throughout their lineup. Names like Travis Ewanyk, Curtis Lazar, Klarc Wilson, and Mitchell Moroz provide a strong supporting cast for the likes of Michael St. Croix, Henrik Samuelsson and Dylan Wruck.

Overview:

Dean Clark’s Prince George Cougars head into action tonight with a record of 7-8-1-1 on the season. Their 16 points has them alone in fourth place in the B.C. Division just two points back of Victoria for third. The Cougars have earned points in three of their last four games altogether.

Who’s Up Front:

Colin Jacobs hasn’t scored a goal since October 20^th in Spokane, and you know that he will looked upon to produce this weekend for the Cougars. Jacobs leads the Cougars in all major offensive categories, and is still averaging just over a point per game so far this season. A big weekend from Jacobs and his linemates would go a long way for the Cougars who are looking for their eighth victory of the season.

Who’s on D:

Defensively the Cougars are going to need a steady effort from all six of the defencemen that suit up for tonight’s game. A major key for the Cougars will be to try and emulate their performance from last weekend in Kamloops. The defence kept things simple, and didn’t give the opposition too many second and third chance opportunities. The duo of Dan Gibb and Marc McNulty have been solid as of late, and both will need to be at the top of their game tonight once more.

Who’s in Goal:

19-year-old Mac Engel is coming off a weekend where he played very well in both games against Kamloops and Kelowna. Engel has helped give the Cougars some much needed stability between the pipes, and Engel’s arrival also seems to have further pushed Brett Zarowny too. Both could be in line for a start this weekend as the Cougars get set for three games in three nights.

X-Factor:

This Cougars lineup is loaded with offense, and now it’s time for the Cougars to find their offensive stride again. It won’t be easy against a pretty stingy Oil Kings squad, but collectively the Cougars forwards need to be willing to pay the price for their success. If the Cougars can out-work the Oil Kings, and win the battles in the tough areas of the ice, there is no doubt that this team is capable of securing two points in tonight’s game.