Cougars Fall to Tigers At Home.
Tuesday night in Prince George, the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Prince George Cougars 6-1 thanks to a four goal third period. Miles Koules paced the Tigers with two goals while goaltender Daniel Wapple turned aside 39 of the Cougars 40 shots, 18 of which were in the second period.
5:39 into the first Medicine Hat struck first when Markus Eisenschmid knocked home a rebound for his fourth of the 2013-2014 season. Hunter Shinkaruk and Curtis Valk both assisted on the game’s opening goal.
Prince George countered with a goal of their own at the 11:40 mark when Todd Fiddler split through two Tiger defenders in alone on goal and snuck a backhand shot through the pads of Wapple for his sixth of the season, and fourth as a Cougar. Zach Pochiro had the lone assist.
Medicine Hat responded at 15:54 when Miles Koules took a pass in the slot and beat Brett Zarowny with a shot through the legs. For Koules it was his fifth goal of the season with Tommy Vannelli and Jacob Doty assisting.
Tigers goaltender Daniel Wapple was the story of the second period as he made a number of top-notch saves to keep his team ahead. Wapple made two breakaway saves, and stopped a number of point blank chances from close range.
A scary incident took place late in the second period when Cougars defenceman Joseph Carvalho blocked a shot that appeared to go off of his face. Carvalho left the game, and did not return.
Unfortunately the Cougars were unable to capitalize on any of their 18 shots in the second period, and the game remained at 2-1 for the visitors with 20 minutes remaining.
The third belonged entirely to the Tigers who scored the 3-1 goal at 4:01 to give them some cushion. Matt Staples pinched in from the left point and fired a shot through traffic that found its way home for his first of the season.
Cole Sanford, Steven Owre and Miles Koules would all then score in the final seven minutes to ensure the Tigers of their 14th victory of the 2013-2014 season.
Both teams finished the game zero-for-three on the power play, but the Tigers did secure a shorthanded goal (Koules in the third period).
The loss moves the Cougars record to 8-12-1-3. They are still ranked third in the B.C. Division and eighth in the Western Conference standings.
Next up: A five game road trip which begins Friday night in Spokane.
Comments
Same old story– a physically larger and faster team with skill defeats the Cougars. We seldom can match the break out speed of our opponents. We were even lazily dumping the puck in on the PP and giving up possession. The diminishing numbers of fans are tired of being ” _________” You, the reader, can fill in the blank!
bc2412 what say we drop the Cougars and back the Spruce Kings…
Let the Kings have CN Center and the cougars can use the speed oval or maybe kin3 until or if they pick up their socks.
I like my ideas…I am sure others won’t…but I am not here to have you like me…
argue my points…
You two both know how I feel about the Cougars. I’m a fan and always will be. Win, lose I still support the boys.
That said, you’re not wrong about moving the Spruce Kings to CN Centre and the Cougars elsewhere. I’ve even had that thought myself. (I’m a Spruce King fan as well)
In the end, this is a business. If the Cougars are no longer a draw to put bums in the seats, maybe the Spruce Kings might get a better response. At least they don’t have Management that PG people spit venom at.
Alas, like most things things in life, there’s a contract that says this can’t be done. Lawyers. Bah!
Bums in the seats boils down to product on the ice. For too many years the product has been sub 500 hockey with the Cougars occasionally sneaking into the playoff only to quickly exit.
Junior hockey is cyclic in nature except for the Cougars who seem to perpetually be at the bottom of the cycle.
Put a winning product on the ice and I am sure the Cougars will be rewarded with increased attendance.
“Put a winning product on the ice and I am sure the Cougars will be rewarded with increased attendance.”
I’m not sure they can put a winning product on the ice and it’s not management’s fault. The problem is our location; there is just way too much traveling for PG. As a result, the top prospects do not end up playing here and we are left with those players on the lower end of the talent scale.
All the heart in the world won’t help if you’re 5 foot 8 and your opponent is 6 foot 6. :)
That said, the WHL is a pretty entertaining product; I don’t mind watching them. I’m certainly not going to let a dislike for management interfere with my fun.
still third in the division….
eighth in confernce……
I think if you are top 10 in anything it is still a very good record. Win loss record is secondary to me.
Attendance – got to be still in the top 15 at least. I enjoy the roominess at CN.
Stretch out in comfort I say.
still third in the division….
eighth in confernce……
I think if you are top 10 in anything it is still a very good record. Win loss record is secondary to me.
Attendance – got to be still in the top 15 at least. I enjoy the roominess at CN.
Stretch out in comfort I say.
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