After two home games earlier this weekend against Edmonton, the Prince George Cougars find themselves on the road for a Sunday afternoon showdown with the Vancouver Giants. Tonight’s game marks the 20^th game of the Cougars season, and the first of eight meetings between these two clubs. With only six points separating these two rivals, this afternoon’s game carries some added importance.

Overview:

Don Hay’s Vancouver Giants come into tonight’s game with a 5-13 record, which has them sitting in 10^th place in the Western Conference. They’ve been outscored 18-6 in their last two games. They’re most recent loss came Friday at home against Portland. The Giants were idle on Saturday.

Who’s Up Front:

Leading the way offensively so far for the Giants is Detroit Red Wings draft-pick Marek Tvrdon. The 19-year-old import leads Vancouver with 22 points in 18 games. Tvrdon along with Trevor Cheek and Anthony Ast have shown some strong offensive prowess in recent games, and tonight the Cougars will need to keep them in check if they want to find success.

Who’s on D:

Calgary flames prospect Brett Kulak leads all Giants defenders with three goals and 10 points so far this season. With the recent departure of David Musil to Edmonton, even more responsibility has fallen onto the shoulders of Brett Kulak and fans can expect to see a ton of him tonight against the top forwards of the Cougars.

Who’s in Goal:

Given the recent injury to veteran Liam Liston, it looks to be one of Tyler Fuhr or Payton Lee in goal for Vancouver. Both are younger goaltenders who are still getting their feet wet in the Western Hockey League. Both goaltenders saw some action on Friday against Portland in a losing cause.

X-Factor:

The Vancouver Giants are a fresh team that trails the Prince George Cougars by six points in the B.C. Division. A four-point gap is a lot more appealing than an eight-point hole. The Giants are going to be hungry, desperate, and energized in front of their home crowd, and the Cougars will need to be very strong early on in order to set their tone on the road. Weathering an early storm will be key for the Cougars on the road in Vancouver.

Overview:

Yes the Cougars have lost two straight to Edmonton this weekend. But there are several glaring positives that the Cougars can take into Sunday’s tilt with Vancouver. The Cougars are 7-10-1-1, and are looking for their first road victory since October 10^th in Cranbrook.

Who’s Up Front:

Last night in Prince George, the Cougars received scoring from both Tanner Lishchynsky and Jarrett Fontaine, each of whom recorded their first goals of the season. It is going to take all four lines contributing equally for the Cougars to come away with victory today.

Who’s on D:

Given that it’s their third game in three nights, the Cougars entire defensive approach will be under the microscope during tonight’s game. The Cougars will need to manage their minutes and their discipline well, especially on the back-end. Veterans Dan Gibb and Dallas Ehrhardt will need to be especially reliable in a tough setting like this.

Who’s in Goal:

Both Brett Zarowny and Mac Engel started in games earlier this weekend against Edmonton. Mac Engel though has played in five of the six periods overall. Engel once again put forth a very solid outing last night, and continues to give his team a great chance to win games. Regardless of whether it’s Engel or Zarowny, goaltending is going to be a massive factor in tonight’s game.

X-Factor:

The second overall pick in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft is set to make his WHL debut this afternoon in Vancouver. Jansen Harkins will join the Cougars at the Pacific Coliseum, and will get his first real taste of the next level. Harkins is fresh off a Gold Medal at the U-16 Challenge Cup in Calgary, where he scored four goals and one assist in the final of a 9-3 B.C. victory over Alberta. Perhaps the addition of Jansen Harkins into the lineup is exactly what the Cougars need to provide some energy and some enthusiasm during an otherwise difficult situation.