After an 11 day break from the game, the Prince George Cougars return to game action tonight in Victoria. Tonight's game marks the first of three games in four nights, all on the road for the Cougars who are looking to continue their upward climb in the race for eighth place in the Western Conference. Tonight they'll face a strong Victoria Royals team who are currently right in the thick of things in the West.

OVERVIEW:

Dave Lowry's team comes into tonight's game with a 23-13-0-2 record. Their 48 points puts them in a tie for third place overall in the Western Conference standings, and comfortably in second place in the B.C. Division. Victoria is 6-3-0-1 in their past 10 games altogether, and they've gone four straight games without a regulation loss. So far this season they are 3-1 against the Cougars and two of those victories have come via the shutout.

WHO'S UP FRONT:

The Victoria Royals aren't a team that beats you with one line, but rather a team that beats you with four. They don't have a single point-per-game scorer but they do possess a wealth of offensive skill and it can come at you in waves. Six different Victoria Royals have scored 10-or-more goals, and leading the way in the goal department is Scottsdale, Arizona's Austin Carroll. Carroll leads all Royals skaters with 18 goals and two of those came earlier this season against Prince George.

WHO'S ON D:

An injury to sophomore defenceman Joe Hicketts has taken some of the offensive creativity away from the Royals back-end, but they are certainly still more than capable of supplying some secondary scoring, and perhaps more importantly some steady presence on the blueline. Brett Cote leads the Royals rearguards with two goals and 20 points, and is complimented nicely by the veterans Keegan Kanzig and Jordan Fransoo.

WHO'S IN GOAL:

What's the biggest reason for the Royals success to date this season? Goaltending. On one hand you have the veteran Patrik Polivka who is tied for the league lead in shutouts (four), and on the other hand you have Coleman Vollrath who leads the league (by a mile) in save percentage: .937%. This means that the Cougars are going to be in tough either way, and it will be of the utmost importance to pepper the Royals with shots whenever possible. For what it's worth, Patrik Polivka is 8-0 lifetime against the Cougars.

X-FACTOR:

In 26 career games against the Prince George Cougars, Royals forward Branden Magee has registered 25 points. He is a very slippery and smart player, who always seems to find the soft area of defensive coverage and will make you pay when he does. Keeping Magee in check will go a long way for the Cougars tonight and tomorrow.

OVERVIEW:

Mark Holick's Prince George Cougars come into tonight's game with a record of 14-18-2-3. Their 33 points gives them a four point improvement on where they were last season, but that said they are still on the outside looking in to the Western Conference playoff picture. The Cougars have been in a 'win one, lose one' type of trend for a few months now, and tonight they'll look to win their second straight game for just the second time this season.

WHO'S UP FRONT:

Since they've been put together, the trio of Todd Fiddler, Jordan Tkatch and Klarc Wilson have undoubtedly been the Cougars most effective line at both ends of the ice. Todd Fiddler is currently riding a 10 game point streak which is tops in the WHL, while both Wilson and Tkatch have recorded points in six straight themselves. Given how physical the Royals can play, these three will need to be in top form and ready for battle tonight. If the Cougars win tonight, it is almost guaranteed that the previously mentioned three forwards will have a lot to do with it.

WHO'S ON D:

Even though it's far too small of a sample size to get a glimpse of the big picture, Josh Smith's re-debut with the Cougars on Sunday, December 15th was a resounding success. Smith was physical, fast, and moved the move extremely well. The Cougars coaching staff certainly was not shy about using him in any and all situations, and hopefully that great start is a sign of things to come for the 19-year-old from Lacombe, AB.

WHO'S IN GOAL:

All signs are point towards Ty Edmonds getting his 10th consecutive start between the pipes for the Prince George Cougars. Brett Zarowny is still not able to go, and even though the Cougars have brought in Braden Krogfoss, this team is only going to go as far as Ty Edmonds can take them. Before the break, Edmonds had two stellar games, and one tough one. Can he match or surpass the efforts of Patrik Polivka or Coleman Vollrath at the other end? It would sure be nice to see him do so.

X-FACTOR:

Aside from a morning skate today, the Cougars have not had much time to get their legs and energy back after an 11-day break. Managing the fatigue and rust is going to be a major key tonight for the visitors. Tonight it's all about the little things: Can they stay disciplined? Can they score first? Can they match Victoria physically? If they can do these things, they will put themselves into a great position to win.