Saturday night in Prince George, the Cougars wrapped up a five-game home stand with a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Giants. Jari Erricson had the lone tally for the Cougars while Travis McEvoy, Cain Franson and  Brett Kulak all recorded two-point games for Vancouver.

The Cougars led 1-0 after one, and once again it was Jari Erricson supplying the offense. Erricson took a Zach Pochiro pass and one-timed his 11^th past Payton Lee to put his team ahead. For Erricson it was his fifth goal of the season against Vancouver. With an assist on Erricson’s goal, Pochiro extended his point streak to four games. Prince George outshot Vancouver 10-6 in the opening period. 

It was a much different second period as the Vancouver Giants outshot Prince George 21-6. Travis McEvoy tied the game for Vancouver when he grabbed a rebound and beat Mac Engel to the stick side at 8:20. Jakub Stukel then scored just mere seconds after a Cougars penalty expired to put Vancouver ahead. Stukel’s goal came at 12:47. Late in the period, Vancouver would add one more when Cain Franson knocked home a rebound for his 21^st.

The game’s final goal came in the late stages of the third period when Brett Kulak one-timed a Tyler Morrison pass through Mac Engel for his 10^th of the season. Kulak’s goal came on a Giants power play that ultimately finished two-for-six on the night.

In response, the Cougars went zero-for-six on their power play opportunities, and were outshot 34-26 through three periods. Saturday’s game was the first time in five games that the Cougars failed to record at least one point.

The Cougars loss coupled with a Seattle overtime loss to Calgary means that there’s now two points separating ninth placed Prince George from eighth placed Seattle. The Cougars will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they face the Red Deer Rebels for a third and final time this season. Wednesday’s game marks the start of a four-game road-trip through Alberta.