After a 5-1 loss at the hands of Victoria last night on the road, the Prince George Cougars don’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption. Tonight, the sixth meeting of the season between these two teams takes place.

Overview:

Dave Lowry’s Victoria Royals are 18-14-0-2 on the season, and they’re 38 points has them comfortably in sixth place in the WHL’s Western Conference standings. So far this season they are 4-1 against Prince George.

Who’s Up Front:

The trio of Brandon Magee, Jamie Crooks and Steven Hodges were outstanding last night for Victoria, combining for two goals and seven points. They were all very noticeable, and very effective in all areas for the Royals.

Who’s on D:

The entire defense-corps was pretty good last night for Victoria mainly due to their physicality. The Royals certainly did not shy away from their checks, and it often made life difficult for the Cougars forwards. 

Who’s in Goal:

Patrik Polivka definitely got some help from his goal-posts in last night’s game, but when called upon he also made some timely stops for Victoria. Polivka has now won four in a row against the Cougars. Does he get the nod again tonight? Or does Dave Lowry give Coleman Vollrath a game?

X-Factor:

Ben Walker continues to make life extremely difficult for the Prince George Cougars. Everytime these teams met, Walker seems to =make his presence felt in some capacity. His two goals and three points were a vital part of the Royals attack last night, and the Cougars will need to be mindful of that again tonight when these teams meet again.

Overview:

To a man, the Cougars know that they can be better than they were last night against Victoria. They are 3-7-0-0 in their past 10 games, and are currently two points back of the eighth placed Everett Silvertips for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Who’s Up Front:

The trio of Jarrett Fontaine, Caleb Belter and Zach Pochiro were arguably the Cougars most effective trio in last night’s game. Though they didn’t register any goals, it wasn’t for a lack of chances. Goalposts, near misses, and good saves were all factors in keeping them off the score sheet. If these three can build off of the solid game that they played last night, it will certainly bode well for the Cougars tonight.

Who’s on D:

With a goal last night, Cougars defenceman Marc McNulty continues to put together an incredible rookie season in the WHL. McNulty’s six goals leads all Cougars defenders, and he and Dan Gibb will likely see a lot of key minutes again in tonight’s game.

Who’s in Goal:

Given the fact that the Cougars are playing three games in three nights this weekend, that could mean that Mac Engel gets the call for the Cougars tonight. If that’s the case, the Cougars will need their veteran netminder to lead the charge. Engel has shown flashes of brilliance this season, and he does have the Cougars lone win of the season against Victoria.

X-Factor:

The Cougars will need to find a way to bear down offensively tonight. They had too many golden opportunities thwarted last night by either hitting posts, missing the net, or having their shots blocked. It might take a 30 or 40 shot game to get the Cougars back on track offensively, and that means that means that they’ll need to shoot from everywhere tonight to be successful.