The Prince George Cougars are back at home for three of their next four games, and tonight for the first and only time this season they face Adam Lowry and the Swift Current Broncos. So far this season the Cougars are 3-1 against teams in the Eastern Division.

Overview:

The Broncos come into action tonight with a record of 13-16-3-2. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games, and are sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Broncos are at the tail-end of a Western Conference road-swing that has already seen them face the other four teams in the B.C.Division.

Who’s Up Front:

19-year-old forward Adam Lowry is red hot for the Broncos. Lowry is currently in the midst of an eight-game point streak, and he leads the team in both goals (16) and points 38 through 34 games. Many felt that Lowry deserved an invite to Team Canada’s World Junior tryout camp, but their loss is Swift Current’s gain, as he figures to be a valuable component of their offense again tonight.

Who’s on D:

Though his status is a tad uncertain due to injury, Reece Scarlett is a very steady and versatile defender for the Broncos. He contributes at both ends of the ice, and so far he leads all Broncos defenders with 15 points through 29 games.

Who’s in Goal:

The Cougars catch a bit of a break here given the fact that Broncos number one netminder Eetu Laurikainen has left the team to attend Finland’s World Junior tryout camp. Laurikainen has been Mr. Everything this season for the Broncos, and his absence will surely be missed. Backup Landon Bow will likely be the ‘go-too’ guy tonight as he looks for his first win this season.

X-Factor:

The Swift Current Broncos are excellent at both ends of the special-teams spectrum. Their power play is currently ranked second overall (26 percent) in the WHL while their penalty kill is fifth (84.4 percent). If the Cougars play undisciplined, the Broncos will certainly have the upper-hand given their prowess on the power play.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars are 10-16-1-3 and head into action tonight two points back of Everett for eighth place in the Western Conference standings. It’s an important week for the Cougars, and two points tonight against the Swift Current Broncos would go a long way in helping the Cougars to not only get back into eighth place – But it would also create 10 points of separation between themselves and the Vancouver Giants.

Who’s Up Front:

With two goals in Saturday’s game in Kelowna, Alex Forsberg has now got seven on the season. Forsberg’s 17 points are second only to Colin Jacobs who still has two games left on a suspension. The Cougars will need Forsberg to continue to produce offensively. If Forsberg can put together another solid game, a win is a definite possibility.

Who’s on D:

Defensively as a whole, the Prince George Cougars need to be better than they were on Saturday. The Broncos are a big team that will certainly be up to the challenge physically. It will be a major priority for the Cougars defenceman to get back to pucks quickly, and make the appropriate choices with the puck in their own zone. A win tonight will require all hands on deck defensively.

Who’s in Goal:

It was a tough weekend for both Mac Engel and Brett Zarowny who didn’t have the type of help in front of them that they’ve been used to in recent weeks. Brett Zarowny has been playing a bit of a hot-hand as of late, and might get consideration for the start tonight. But with four games upcoming over the next six days, it’s likely a safe assumption that both goalies will see some playing time in the not-too-distant future.

X-Factor:

At the end of Saturday’s game in Kelowna, head coach Dean Clark said that the Cougars need to raise their ‘compete’ level. Tonight the Cougars have a great chance to erase the pains of this past weekend with a solid, 60 minute performance against Swift Current. If the Cougars can rediscover the strengths that allowed them to find success in the back-half of November and early December, they’ll be absolutely fine tonight, and down the road.