After posting a 1-0 victory last night against Kamloops, the Prince George Cougars will set their sights on a weekend sweep of their division rivals. The Kamloops Blazers threw everything they possibly could at Brett Zarowny, who responded with a 44 save shutout. The Cougars can most likely expect a similar effort from their opponents tonight.

OVERVIEW:

With a 28-12-2-2 record heading into tonight, the Kamloops Blazers currently sit third in the Western Conference. They are now four points back of Kelowna for first in the B.C. Division and are 4-5-1-0 in their past 10 games.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

JC Lipon returned to the Blazers lineup last night and didn’t seem to miss a beat with his linemates Tim Bozon and Colin Smith. While the three were held off the scoreboard, it was by no means for a lack of opportunities. Bozon, Smith and Lipon were all over the Cougars in the third period of last night’s game, and these three will need to be kept silenced again if the Cougars wish to win their second game this weekend.

WHO’S ON D:

The Kamloops Blazers were very physical in last night’s game, and the physicality came largely from the backend. Tyler Hansen was named the game’s third star for his efforts defensively. He was physical, dependable, and logged some big minutes along with defense partner Sam Grist.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

For the first time ever, the Prince George Cougars were able to defeat Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave. That said, Cheveldave gave his team every possible chance to win. He stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced, and came up big when called upon in the first half of the game when the game was still scoreless. Guy Charron could easily go back with Cheveldave tonight, or instead he could go with Taran Kozun who has been terrific for Kamloops in recent weeks.

X-FACTOR:

Last night the Blazers received three power play chances and were unable to capitalize. Considering the Cougars received zero power play chances, the inability to finish on the power play may have ultimately cost the Blazers some points in last night’s contest. Tonight, the power play will be a major focal point again, and if the Cougars don’t stay disciplined, the Blazers could be due for a big night on the man advantage.

OVERVIEW:

Dean Clark’s Prince George Cougars head into tonight’s game with a record of 13-24-1-4. They currently sit four points back of the eighth placed Seattle Thunderbirds in the race for a playoff spot in the West. Their victory last night moved them nine points ahead of Vancouver in the B.C. Division, and tonight Seattle, Vancouver and the Cougars are all in action, which means an opportunity is there for the Cougars to inch closer to a playoff spot with a win, and some help.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Last night the trio of Jordan Tkatch, Jarrett Fontaine and Zach Pochiro were tasked with the responsibility of keeping JC Lipon, Tim Bozon and Colin Smith silenced, and they did not disappoint. Those three also combined for the Cougars only goal of the game, with Jordan Tkatch notching his fourth of the season. Tkatch is a streaky scorer, and hopefully he can continue to put pucks in the net as the month of January continues for the Cougars.

WHO’S ON D:

The return of both Dallas Ehrhardt and Rinalds Rosinskis worked out extremely well for the Cougars. Both bring size, physicality and confidence to the blueline, and both certainly made a positive impact in last night’s game. Both have missed substantial time as of late, and here’s hoping that their freshness and energy can help a Cougars club that is playing their fourth game in five nights.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

Last night’s first star was Cougars rookie goaltender Brett Zarowny who stopped all 44 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. Zarowny was quick to credit his teammates for their effort in front of him last night, but in the final moments and seconds of the game, Zarowny was the ultimate difference for the Cougars who will hope to get a similar performance in goal again tonight from either Zarowny or Mac Engel.

X-FACTOR:

Tonight the Cougars will need to find a way to score some more goals. As exciting and impressive as a 1-0 win can be, you can bet that the coaching staff would much rather see the Cougars bury some more pucks. It all starts with more shots on goal. There were numerous opportunities in last night’s game for the Cougars off the rush where instead of shooting, they decided to make an extra pass which led to a turnover and a missed opportunity. If the Cougars can record over 30 shots in tonight’s game, they’ll give themselves a great chance to win.