Prince George, BC — The Cariboo Cougars have extended their unbeaten streak to seven games with a 5-3 win over the Okanagan Rockets in a game with huge playoff implications.

The win is the Cats third straight and extends their lead for second place over the Rockets to four points with Okanagan holding two games in hand.

Brad Morrison opened scoring 11:27 into the first pouncing on a Kirk Hards rebound. Just three and a half minutes later, Liam Blackburn scored off a nice feed from Logan Styler for his third shorthanded goal in the last two games to put the Cats up 2-0.

But the Rockets came out blazing to start the second as Joe Gatenby scored just 15 seconds in to cut the lead in half. Spencer Hewson then tied the game just over two minutes later. The Cougars re-took the lead at the 13:44 mark with Hards’ ninth of the season on the power play as the Cats took a one goal lead into the final period.

Stephen Penner blasted a point shot past Rockets netminder Reid Kilburn on the power play midway through the third to go up 4-2. Styler scored a power play goal of his own five minutes later and with the assist, Blackburn tied Brett Bulmer’s team record for points in a single season with 63. The Rockets got a late power play goal with just over three minutes left but that was all they could muster as the Cats record improves to 25-7-1.

The Cougars went 3/4 on the power play while also scoring a shorthanded goal allowing one goal against on five Rocket power plays.

The Cats go for the season series win and weekend sweep of the Rockets Sunday at 10:15am at CN Centre. With a win, the Cougars would be six points clear of the Rockets and hold the standings tie-breaker.