After a five day layoff, the Prince George Cougars are back in action tonight at the CN Centre. For the first time this season, the Cougars will welcome Kevin Constantine and the Everett Silvertips to town, and revenge will no doubt be on the minds of the Cougars who are looking to avenge an 8-3 loss to Everett which they suffered back on September 21^st down south.

Overview:

Kevin Constantine’s Everett Silvertips have gotten off to a terrific start in 2013-2014. So far the ‘Tips are 5-1-1-0 and have surrendered the fewest goals against in the entire WHL (14) heading into this weekend. They have gone four straight games without a regulation loss.

Who’s Up Front:

20-year-old forward Joshua Winquist currently leads all Everett scorers with six goals and 11 points in seven games to start the season. Three of those six goals came on September 21^st against the Cougars. Winquist has gone two straight seasons with more than 40 points, and this season he’s on pace to destroy his previous season high of 24 goals and 51 points.

Who’s on D:

Fellow 20-year-old Matt Pufahl has tallied five goals and eight points in just six games to start the season for the Silvertips. Pufahl has scored four goals in the past two games, and has provided Everett with a strong power play option in the early going.

Who’s in Goal:

18-year-old Austin Lotz has posted some red hot numbers between the pipes for Everett to start the season. In six games, Lotz has gone 4-1-1 with a goals-against-average of 1.74 and a save percentage of .934. To some it was a big surprise that Lotz was passed over in the 2013 NHL Draft, and so far this season he is playing like a goaltender who is hell bent on being selected this time around.

X-Factor:

Prince George Cougars fans are about to get their first WHL look at 19-year-old Edmonton Oilers prospect Jujhar Kaira. Fans will recall that the Prince George Cougars traded Khaira’s CHL rights to Everett during the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft in the trade that saw the Cougars acquire Jari Erricson and the first round draft pick that would eventually become Brad Morrison. Khaira has four points in his first six WHL games and certainly be a player to watch this weekend in Prince George.

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars are coming into tonight’s game with an even 4-4 record on the season. Last Saturday the Cougars climbed back to .500 with a 3-0 victory on the road in Kamloops. So far the Cougars are 2-2 at home, and tonight’s contest will mark the first time the Cougars have hosted a US Division team this season.

Who’s Up Front:

Prior to Saturday’s game in Kamloops, Mark Holick mentioned that several of his forwards were due for a breakout game. Jansen Harkins, Chase Witala and Zach Pochiro were all mentioned, and all three produced some timely offense for Prince George on the road. Harkins recorded his first WHL goal while Pochiro and Witala both recorded two point games. If those three can find the score sheet again this weekend, the Cougars have to like their chances.

Who’s on D:

The Cougars have only surrendered two goals against in their past four games. While it’s easy to credit goaltending, you have to give the Cougars defence corps their due as well. The Cougars have cut down on their penalties, and have really taken pride in their ability to block shots in the defensive zone. Peter Kosterman and Joseph Carvalho have been two players that have really played well for the Cougars in recent games, and they’ll need to be in top form again tonight.

Who’s in Goal:

Earlier this week it was announced that Cougars rookie goaltender Ty Edmonds was named the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week. The 1996-born Edmonds went 2-1 last week with two shutouts in three starts. Edmonds stopped all 31 shots he faced on Tuesday, October 1^st in a 2-0 Cougars victory over the Victoria Royals. The next night Edmonds stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced in a 1-0 loss to the Royals. Edmonds wrapped up his week with 27 saves in a 3-0 shutout victory over the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday, October 5^th. Last week Edmonds stopped 81 of the 82 shots he faced and had a goals-against-average of 0.34 along with a save percentage of .988. So far Edmonds is 4-1 on the season with a goals-against-average of 1.68 and a save percentage of .939. His two shutouts are tops in the entire WHL.

X-Factor:

The Prince George Cougars have gone four straight games without surrendering a power play goal against. Overall the Cougars have killed 18 straight penalties and are starting to gain some confidence when down a man. Obviously the Cougars are going to need to stay disciplined and limit Everett’s power play chances while taking advantage of their power play chances. Everett has been a very disciplined team through the first seven games, and it will be important for the Cougars to take advantage of their chances when they get them.