Tonight, the Prince George Cougars are back on home ice for their lone meeting of the regular season with the Regina Pats. Last season the Cougars were 2-0 winners in Regina, and are 2-3 against the Pats over the past five seasons.

Overview:

Pat Conacher’s Regina Pats head into tonight’s game having secured points in each of their past three games. Their record of 10-12-1-1 has them tied for fourth in the Eastern Division. The Pats are 4-5-0-1 in their past 10 games.

Who’s Up Front:

20-year-old winger Lane Scheidl leads the Pats with 27 points. His 11 goals rank second on the team, and his five power play goals are also second.  Altogether, Scheidl has put up 10 points in his past six games, and will certainly be a player to watch tonight for Regina.

Who’s on D:

With the recent injury to Colton Jobke, the Pats defensively have been led by 19-year-old Luke Fenske. Fenske has two goals, and 10 points, and is also a +5 for the Pats. Fenske will likely see a lot of ice-time in all key situations for the Pats tonight, on the road.

Who’s in Goal:

20-year-old Matt Hewitt comes into tonight’s game with some very stellar numbers through 17 games. His 7-7-1-1 record, combined with a .923 save percentage and a 2.66 goals against average likely means that the Cougars will once again challenged in that regard.  Hewitt is coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to Vancouver on Friday.

X-Factor:

With 25 points in 24 games, 17-year-old Morgan Klimchuk is putting together a very strong sophomore season in the WHL. The draft-eligible forward was ranked fifth out of all WHL skaters in the most recent Central Scouting report, and I’d expect Klimchuk to front-and-center in the Pats offence tonight. Keeping Klimchuk in check will be a major key for the Cougars tonight.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars are coming off a strong outing on Saturday night in Kamloops. Though the Cougars only came away with a point, there were more positives than negatives, and sooner or later the Cougars are bound to be rewarded for their efforts. They head into tonight’s game with a record of 7-11-1-3, and are currently ranked fourth in the B.C. Division. They are four points ahead of Vancouver and four points behind the Victoria Royals for third in the B.C. Division.

Who’s Up Front:

Jari Erricson has been playing some of his best hockey in recent games for the Cougars. Erricson has recorded five points in his past five games, and is currently second on both goals (6) and points (13) this season for the Cougars. He along with linemates Daulton Siwak and Colin Jacobs will need to build off a strong game on Saturday in Kamloops tonight.

Who’s on D:

Marc McNulty woke up this morning to some great news. The 17-year-old product of Medicine Hat found out today that he was ranked 18^th out of all draft-eligible WHL skaters for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. McNulty continues to improve with each passing game, and the news from earlier today should only further improve his confidence moving forward.

Who’s in Goal:

Mac Engel is coming off another strong outing Saturday where he unfortunately only earned one of a possible two points. Dean Clark could very well decide to go back with Mac tonight, as the Cougars are hoping that he’ll be rewarded for his efforts sooner than later. It could also be Brett Zarowny’s turn, as he hasn’t started since Friday, November 9^th against Edmonton.

X-Factor:

The Prince George Cougars are coming off a game Saturday where they went two-for-seven on the power play. Hopefully the Cougars can continue to build off of that success. If they can take advantage of their opportunities tonight, at home, against a Regina team that has taken the fourth most penalties in the entire league, then the Cougars will put themselves into a great position to succeed tonight.