The Prince George Cougars and Vancouver Giants are about to get extremely acquainted with one another. Tonight in Vancouver these teams square off for the first of three games in three nights, all against each other. All told, the Cougars face the Giants in four of the next six games.

Overview:

Heading into tonight’s game, the Vancouver Giants are 1-9-0-0 in their past 10 games. Their 16 points is the lowest mark in the Western Hockey League, and they trail the Cougars by eight points in the B.C. Division standings. That said, the Giants were 4-3 shootout winners over the Cougars during their last meeting on November 11^th in Vancouver.

Who’s Up Front:

17-year-old forward Jackson Houck leads all Vancouver skaters with 26 points in 31 games. The Cougars did a great job against Houck back on November 11^th, keeping him off the score sheet, and that will certainly be a priority again for the Cougars tonight in Vancouver.

Who’s on D:

With five goals and 17 points, Brett Kulak is certainly one of the ‘go-to guys’ on the backend for Vancouver. The Calgary Flames prospect is very smart, and shift, and you can bet that he’ll log a ton of key minutes against the top Cougars offensive threats.

Who’s in Goal:

16-year-old Payton Lee has started the most games for Vancouver this season. Lee has five of the eight Vancouver wins this season. Including the 4-3 shootout victory over the Cougars back on November 11^th. Other goaltending options include veteran Liam Liston and 17-year-old Tyler Fuhr.

X-Factor:

When these teams last met in November, the Vancouver Giants didn’t have Cain Franson in their lineup. Franson is a major cog in the Giants offense, and last season he was a major thorn in the Cougars side. Franson had 12 points in eight games against the Cougars last season, and has 10 goals for the Giants in 20 games this season.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars head into the weekend with a record of 10-17-1-3. Their 24 points has them four back of eighth placed Everett, and eight points ahead of 10^th placed Vancouver in the Western Conference standings. It goes without saying that these next three games against the Giants are very important, and if the Cougars can earn a few victories here before the break, I’m sure the entire group will gain from the added confidence.

Who’s Up Front:

Alex Forsberg always seems to elevate his game against the Vancouver Giants. In eight career games against the Giants, Forsberg has recorded four goals and eight points. Given the recent offensive struggles for the Cougars, it will be important for the likes of Forsberg to help lead this team out of it’s goal-scoring funk.

Who’s on D:

The Cougars could receive a boost on the backend with the potential return of Marc McNulty to the lineup. McNulty has missed the past four games with an upper-body ailment, and his two-way ability will be a welcomed addition for the Cougars. McNulty leads all Cougars defenceman with five goals.

Who’s in Goal:

Arguably the biggest bright spot for the Cougars as of late has been the play of Brett Zarowny in goal. Zarowny has made 30 saves in each of his past three games, and has put together a save percentage of .938 and a goals against average of 2.00 in that span. Tonight the Cougars need to decide whether they want to play the hot hand in goal (Zarowny) or go with some veteran experience in Mac Engel. It is a Teddy Bear toss game in Vancouver tonight, and perhaps Engel’s experience could pay off in a setting like this.

X-Factor:

A major key for the Cougars tonight will be their start. Last time they were in Vancouver they scored a goal in the first minute, and immediately gave themselves the upper hand. Since it is a Teddy Bear toss game, and the fans will be louder than usual, the Cougars could certainly ease the tension with an early goal and an early lead. A strong start to tonight’s game could be the ultimate difference in the end result.