The Prince George Cougars continue their four-game Alberta road trip tonight in Medicine Hat. For the second and final time this season the Cougars are set to face Hunter Shinkaruk and the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Cougars have dropped two straight games, and still find themselves on the outside looking into the playoff picture in the West.

Overview:

The Tigers come into tonight’s game with wins in four straight games. They are 6-4 in their past 10 games, and are 29-26-2-1 through 58 games this season. Currently the Tigers are five points back of fifth placed Red Deer and hold just a one-point lead for sixth in the East over Swift Current.

Who’s Up Front:

With 66 points in 50 games, Hunter Shinkaruk continues to establish himself as one of the premiere goal scorers in the Western Hockey League. The draft eligible forward from Calgary hasn’t quite duplicated the success he had from last season, but it’s almost a certainty that Shinkaruk will be taken in the top 10 of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, and tonight the Cougars will need to keep him and his linemates in check if they want to win the game.

Who’s on D:

Kyle Becker and Tyler Lewington are tied for the team lead in points for defensemen with 20. The 18-year-old Becker has put together a nice season for himself after only recording one point in 11 games last season. The Tigers as a whole have a goal differential of +2, which means that the Cougars could be rewarded offensively provided they shoot the puck lots from high-scoring areas of the ice.

Who’s in Goal:

20-year-old Cam Lanigan has an impressive 21-13-1-1 record so far this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. The former Kamloops Blazer has a high save percentage of .916 and a goals-against-average of 2.74. His backup is Import goaltender Marek Langhamer who beat the Cougars back on the 13^th of October in Medicine Hat.

X-Factor:

The Medicine Hat Tigers have no shortage of offensive weapons that can beat you if you’re not diligent defensively. Curtis Valk leads the team with 72 points, and 20-year-old Elgin Pearce has complimented Valk and Hunter Shinkaruk nicely with 67 points of his own. The Cougars will need to be aware of when the top guns for the Tigers are on the ice, and limit their opportunities as best as possible by blocking shots and giving their goaltender a chance to see the shots coming his way.

Overview:

The Prince George Cougars head into tonight’s game with a record of 3-5-0-2 in their past 10 games. With a record of 17-32-2-6, the Cougars are still just two points back of eighth place, but will need a win and some help tonight of they want to crack the top eight. After earning points in four straight games at home the Cougars have now dropped two in a row.

Who’s Up Front:

Over the past 10 games, no Cougar has produced more points than 18-year-old rookie Zach Pochiro. Pochiro has eight points in the past 10 games, and comes into tonight’s game riding a five-game point streak.

Who’s on D:

Marc McNulty will get the chance to strut his stuff in front of the hometown crowd tonight in Medicine Hat. The 6’6, draft eligible defenceman leads all Cougars blueliners with seven goals and will no doubt be hoping for a big performance tonight in front of friends and family.

Who’s in Goal:

Mac Engel looks to get the call again tonight for the Cougars with 15-year-old Matt Kustra backing him up.  For Engel this will be his seventh straight start. Kustra was selected by the Cougars in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft and will dress in a WHL game for the first time tonight.

X-Factor:

The Prince George Cougars must be more disciplined tonight in Medicine Hat. Wednesday in Red Deer the Cougars took seven minor penalties, which is too much regardless of the opponent. Medicine Hat boasts a number of talented forwards who will certainly make the most of the extra time and space on the ice. If the Cougars can win the special-teams battle tonight they have an excellent chance at winning the game.