Tonight for the first time this season, the Prince George Cougars will host their division rivals, the Kamloops Blazers. These teams have met three times so far this season, all in Kamloops. The Cougars have earned points in two of the three meetings, both of which were shootout losses. The Cougars could have two new faces in the lineup tonight, both of whom look to make an immediate impact.

OVERVIEW:

Guy Charron’s Kamloops Blazers head into the weekend with the third best record in the WHL’ Western Conference. At 28-11-2-2, the Blazers sit two points back of the Kelowna Rockets for first in the B.C. Division and second in the West. Kamloops has gone 5-4-1-0 in their last 10 games, and are 3-0 against the Cougars so far this season.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

With 68 points in 43 games, 19-year-old forward Colin Smith continues to produce points at an exceptional rate for the Kamloops Blazers. Smith currently sits second in WHL scoring, and has shown remarkable consistency this season for Kamloops. Smith has gone two games without a point, which could make him primed for a big night if the Cougars aren’t careful.

WHO’S ON D:

Since joining the Kamloops Blazers in early December, St. Louis Blues prospect Joel Edmundson has provided the Blazers with a ton of stability at both ends of the ice. Edmundson has nine points in 11 games since joining Kamloops and is a +9 in that span. He leads all Kamloops defencemen with 17 points on the season.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

The Kamloops Blazers have two very capable goaltenders that can beat you on any given night. Cole Cheveldave has received a bulk of the starts this season for Kamloops and has put together a record of 19-8-1-1 with a goals-against-average of 2.65 and a save percentage of .900. That said, backup goaltender Taran Kozun has put together a really solid run as of late having won his past three starts. He’s 9-3-1-1 on the season and has a lower goals-against-average and a higher save percentage than his counterpart. Could we see both goaltenders get a start this weekend?

X-FACTOR:

The Kamloops Blazers could receive a major boost to their lineup tonight with the return of both JC Lipon and Marek Hrbas. Lipon represented Canada at the World Juniors, while Hrbas suited up for the Czech Republic. Both are an integral part of this Blazer squad, and should help provide a spark for Kamloops on the road this weekend.

OVERVIEW:

Heading into this weekend the Prince George Cougars are still searching that their first ‘W’ of 2013. The Cougars put up a valiant effort the league-leading Winterhawks earlier this week, but ultimate lost twice. Hopefully some of the injured Cougars are on the mend making a full lineup a realistic possibility for the first time in 2013.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Cougars G.M. Dallas Thompson made a move on Wednesday night by acquiring 19-year-old forward Klarc Wilson from the Edmonton Oil Kings. Wilson brings a tireless work-ethic, toughness, scoring punch and perhaps most importantly, experience to the Cougars. Wilson won a championship with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2012, and hopefully that experience can rub off on his new teammates as they continue their quest for a playoff berth in 2012-2013.

WHO’S ON D:

The Prince George Cougars also added 16-year-old defenceman Jordan Harris to their roster for the remainder of the season. Harris was the Cougars first round selection (10^th overall) in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft, and could make his WHL debut this weekend.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

Though the Cougars lost both games against Portland, goaltending seemed to be the least of their concern. Both Brett Zarowny and Mac Engel made some terrific saves during their respective games against Kamloops, and both may be relied upon this weekend to help lead the Cougars to victory. Engel made 46 saves on 48 shots faced, and has been in goal for all three meetings so far this season with Kamloops. Will Brett Zarowny get the first crack at them this weekend? Or will Dean Clark opt to go with Engel?

X-FACTOR:

With the trade deadline over with, the Prince George Cougars players can now simply focus on the task at hand. Mental strength is going to be very important tonight for the Cougars who are going to need to dig deep and find a way to crack this losing streak. With both the Vancouver Giants and Seattle Thunderbirds idle tonight, the Cougars can accomplish a lot with two points in tonight’s game. They know they’ve got a club that can score goals in bunches when they get going, and hopefully tonight can be the night that a full lineup can join forces to get back on a winning note.