After holding on to a 5-4 victory against the Royals last night, the Prince George Cougars are right back at it tonight. It’s the second of four consecutive meetings for the Cougars against Victoria, and a win for the Cougars in regulation would put them into a tie with Victoria for third in the B.C. Division.

Overview:

The Victoria Royals head into tonight’s game with a 3-7 record in their past 10 games. They are an even 12-12-0-0 on the season, and currently hold a two-point edge on the Cougars for third place in the B.C. Division.

Who’s Up Front:

20-year-old forward Alex Gogolev was easily one of the most noticeable players for the Royals during last night’s game. Though he was held to just one point, the Royals leading scorer has now recorded points in eight straight games. He’s very patient and skilled with the puck and the Cougars will certainly need to be aware when he’s on the ice, because he’s a definite game-breaker for the Royals.

Who’s on D:

19-year-old Ottawa Senators prospect Jordan Fransoo recorded two assists in last night’s game for the Royals and he certainly made his presence felt at both ends of the ice. Fransoo is now the defacto leader on the back-end with captain Tyler Stahl serving game two of his suspension.

Who’s in Goal:

Royals coach Dave Lowry has an interesting choice to make tonight in goal. Does he go back with Patrick Polivka, who was pulled after surrendering four goals on 15 shots? Or does he go back with Coleman Vollrath, who stopped 11 of the 12 he faced in relief?

X-Factor:

Because of their relentless offense, the Victoria Royals are never to be counted out of a game. With a forward-corps that boasts the likes of Ben Walker, Alex Gogolev, Steven Hodges, Brandon Magee, Jamie Crooks and Logan Nelson, they can certainly come at teams in waves, and that means that the Cougars will need to be close attention to detail defensively, and stay as disciplined as possible.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars head into tonight’s game with a record of 9-11-1-3. They have earned points in six of their past 10 games and have won their past two games. The Cougars have an eight-point lead on Vancouver for fourth place in the B.C. Division, and are currently ranked eighth out of the 10 Western Conference teams.

Who’s Up Front:

Alex Forsberg was outstanding for the Cougars in last night’s game. The second-year forward assisted on three of the five Cougars goals, and seems to be gelling very well with 20-year-old forward Ryan Hanes. If Alex Forsberg can continue his strong play, he provides the Cougars with a strong offensive option, and could once again be a major factor in tonight’s game.

Who’s on D:

Last night’s game was a good for offensively for rookie defenceman Joseph Carvalho. The product of Burnaby, B.C. recorded his first ever multi-point game in the WHL and has now notched four points on the season. Carvalho has a ton of offensive upside, and hopefully a game like last night’s can press him on to more offensive success.

Who’s in Goal:

Dean Clark is also faced with a tough decision tonight in goal. Does he go back with Mac Engel who won last night, and has started the last six? Or does Brett Zarowny get the call tonight on the road in the back half of the double-header?

X-Factor:

The Cougars power play is now five for it’s last 16, and might have been the reason why they won last night’s game. The Cougars must continue to take advantage of their power play chances, particularly when they’re on the road. If they do that tonight, they could be heading back to Prince George with four points from this weekend.