Tonight, on the eve of the Western Hockey League trade deadline, the Prince George Cougars will once again square off with the top team in the WHL, the Portland Winterhawks. Last night, the Cougars dropped a hard-fought 6-4 decision, and can take several positives from that game into tonight. But at the end of the day, what the Cougars need most are points, and tonight they’ll look to secure some.

PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS

Overview:

With a record of 34-5-1-0, the Portland Winterhawks are nine points up on the next closest teams in the race for the top spot in the WHL standings. They’ve won 11 straight games, and have scored the league’s most goals while also allowing the league’s least amount.

Who’s Up Front:

It was a strong return to the Winterhawks lineup for St. Louis Blues prospect Ty Rattie who had two helpers in last night’s game. Rattie is coming off a strong tournament for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships, and didn’t seem to miss a beat in last night’s contest. Rattie has now posted 49 points through 31 games this season.

Who’s on D:

Also returning to the Portland lineup last night was Team Canada defenceman Tyler Wotherspoon. Wotherspoon scored twice, and added two assists in a winning cause for Portland, and was also a +4 on the night. Wotherspoon is one of the premiere defencemen in the WHL, and will need to be closely guarded tonight.

Who’s in Goal:

Last night, the Portland Winterhawks started backup goalie Brendan Burke, who turned aside 33 shots for his 13^th victory. Burke’s start yesterday could mean that Mac Carruth will get the call tonight for the Winterhawks. Carruth is 18-2 so far this season, with three shutouts and a goals-against-average of 1.77 which is tops in the entire league.

X-Factor:

The Portland Winterhawks are a team that can come at you in waves, especially off the rush. Last night, every time the Cougars turned the puck over, Portland would carry it back with tremendous speed and confidence. If the Cougars make mistakes with their passes, the Winterhawks will make them pay.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars are still searching for their first victory of 2013. Their roster remains banged up, but the overall mood of the team remains positive as they continue to push through a very challenging portion of their schedule. The Cougars are five points back of  eighth placed Everett with two games still in hand.

Who’s Up Front:

The Portland Winterhawks definitely seem to bring out the best in second-year forward Jordan Tkatch. Last night, Tkatch led the Cougars with a goal and an assist, and has now recorded two career multi-point games against the Winterhawks in just five meetings. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for Tkatch who is known to be a bit of a streaky scorer.

Who’s on D:

Raymond Grewal returned to the Cougars lineup last night, and provided a nice spark for Dean Clark’s team. Grewal’s poise, and strength were on display right from the very first drop of the puck, and he’ll need another big game tonight if the Cougars want to upset Portland.

Who’s in Goal:

Brett Zarowny got into his first game in 2013 last night, and did not show any ill effects from a recent flu-bug that had him sidelined since December 29^th. Zarowny made some incredible saves during last night’s game, and couldn’t really be faulted on any of Portland’s goals. That said, it might be Mac Engel’s turn to try his luck against the Winterhawks. If the Cougars are going to win tonight, they’ll need their goaltender to steal one for them, and Mac Engel or Brett Zarowny are both capable of doing so.

X-Factor:

The first 10 minutes of tonight’s game will once again be very important for the Cougars. Last night they scored early, and seemed to gain a lot of confidence from their early success. The longer the Cougars can keep Portland off of the score sheet, the better. If the Cougars can limit Portland’s opportunities, and once again find a way to score first, they’ll give themselves a better chance to win.