The Prince George Cougars will look to get back on the winning track tonight when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors for the first and only time during the 2012-2013 regular season. Over the past five seasons, the Cougars are 2-2-1-0 against Moose Jaw and are 2-0 against them in Prince George since 2008.

Overview:

The Moose Jaw Warriors come into tonight’s game with an overall record of 11-12-3-4. They are 4-5-0-1 in their past 10 games, and will be wrapping up a lengthy Western road-trip tonight in Prince George. The Warriors are currently ranked seventh in the Eastern Conference.

Who’s Up Front:

Sam Fioretti leads all Warriors forwards with 17 goals and 31 points. The 19-year-old from Calgary is only four goals away from matching last season’s total, and recorded nine points through 13 November games.

Who’s on D:

There are few players in any sport that are worth the price of admission by themselves, but Warrior’s defenceman Morgan Rielly certainly fits that bill. The 18-year-old defenceman was selected fifth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2012 draft, and has already put together a solid campaign with 26 points in 30 games. Only Brandon defenceman Ryan Pulock has recorded more points than Rielly, who combines skill, speed and smarts in all areas of the ice.

Who’s in Goal:

The Warriors are led by two rookie goaltenders in Justin Paulic and Daniel Wapple. Paulic has seen the bulk of the work so far this season with a 8-6-3-2 record through 21 games. Wapple has made 12 appearances and has similar-esque numbers to Paulic. Paulic’s goals against average though is 2.66 while Wapple brings a 3.36 GAA to the table.

X-Factor:

The Moose Jaw Warriors boast a very competent group of defenders who are both physical, and skilled. After Morgan Rielly, the Warriors still boast the likes of Kendall McFaull, Travis Brown and Joel Edmunson. If the Cougars want to win tonight, they’re going to have to be prepared to battle hard for every square inch of ice.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars head into tonight’s game having lost both games at home this past weekend to the Victoria Royals. The Cougars were solid for a large majority of Saturday’s game, but surrendered two goals in a 49 second span which ultimately led to their defeat. Heading into this game, the Cougars are 9-14-1-3, and trail eighth placed Everett by just two points in the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Who’s Up Front:

The Prince George Cougars received a solid effort on Saturday from the trio of Daulton Siwak, Alex Forsberg and Ryan Hanes. Siwak has had so many chances in recent games, and it was nice to see him rewarded with a shorthanded goal, and an assist for his efforts. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for Siwak who has a great shot, and some great variety to his game.

Who’s on D:

Marc McNulty continues to make a name for himself as one of the top draft-eligible defencemen in the Western Hockey League. McNulty recorded his fifth goal of the season on Saturday, and continues to blossom in front of our eyes.

Who’s in Goal:

Fresh off being named November’s Hubbell Designer Goldsmith’s Player of the Month, Mac Engel was the hard-luck losing goaltender on Saturday against Victoria. Engel saw a bulk of the workload in November, but with three games coming up this week it would come as no surprise to see both Mac Engel and Brett Zarowny get some playing time.

X-Factor:

In order to find the win column tonight, the Prince George Cougars are going to need to bring their work-boots. The Warriors are at the end of a long Western Conference road trip, and the Cougars have a chance to take advantage of a road-weary bunch that have a long journey home ahead of them after tonight. If the Cougars can establish themselves physically and maybe pop an early goal or two, it would bode very well for the Cougars in their hunt for victory number 10 this season.