This afternoon in Prince George, the Prince George Cougars will look to do something that they've only managed to accomplish one other time in the past 20 years: Win seven straight games. Obviously the task at hand will be a tough one as the Cougars will face one of the league's most dangerous teams in the Portland Winterhawks who are on a lengthy unbeaten streak of their own. This afternoon it will be a clash of two of the hottest teams going right now in the WHL.

OVERVIEW:

Mike Johnston's Portland Winterhawks come into this afternoon's game on a heck of a run.They are 10-0 in their past 10 games, and have now gone 14 straight games without a regulation loss. They are nine points back of first place Kelowna in the West and are the league's top scoring team by a mile. Oh yeah. They are the defending WHL champs as well.

WHO'S UP FRONT:

With 29 goals and 91 points, third year forward Nic Petan is once again one of the primary offensive catalysts for the Portland Winterhawks. Petan is only two points behind Mitch Holmberg for the league lead in points, and last season he finished tied with teammate Brendan Leipsic for the league lead with 120 points. The Winnipeg Jets prospect also recently represented Canada at the 2014 World Juniors and had an excellent tournament. Keeping Petan in check will be one of several keys for the Cougars today.

WHO'S ON D:

It doesn't get much more skilled than the group of six Portland Winterhawks defenders. They are a strong mix of size, skill and experience, and are easily one of the strengths of their team. Leading the way are top NHL prospects Derrick Pouliot (Pittsburgh) and Mathew Dumba (Minnesota) who help anchor the league's top power play. Not only do the Cougars need to worry about the forwards burning them offensively, but the defense corps is just as potent.

WHO'S IN GOAL:

Portland also has very balanced goaltending in the form of 18-year-old goaltender Brendan Burke and 20-year-old Corbin Boes. Burke is 30-10-2-2 this season with three shutouts and a goals-against-average of 2.82 and a save percentage of .909. He will play this afternoon for Portland.

X-FACTOR:

DO. NOT. TAKE. PENALTIES. The Winterhawks have the league's top power play, and definitely displayed that when these teams met for the first time back in September. That night Portland finished five for eight on the power play en route to a 9-2 victory over Prince George. This afternoon the Cougars will need to try and keep the penalties to three or less.

OVERVIEW:

Mark Holick's Prince George Cougars come into this afternoon's game with a 24-26-2-5 record. With six consecutive victories and seven in their last 10, the Cougars now find themselves back within just two points of eighth place in the Western Conference standings. A win tonight would give the Cougars their second longest winning streak in franchise history. Tonight is also a special game for head coach Mark Holick who will coach his 300th career regular season game in the WHL tonight.

WHO'S UP FRONT:

With two goals and two assists in Saturday's win over Red Deer, Cougars captain Troy Bourke has now set a new season high for goals with 21. The Cougars captain has 213 career points, all with Prince George. He just needs 21 more points to pass Eric Hunter for most career points in a Cougars uniform. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility for Bourke to accomplish that feat this season.

WHO'S ON D:

This afternoon the Cougars are going to need EVERYBODY to pull their weight defensively because no team feasts off of mistakes quite like the Portland Winterhawks do. They are so skilled and so shifty, and because of that, they do a great job of drawing penalties. Hopefully tonight the Cougars can avoid making too many defensive zone mistakes, and do their best to dictate the play in their own zone. Zone time will be a major focal point today for PG.

WHO'S IN GOAL:

With three straight wins it's no secret that Adam Beukeboom will get the nod again today for Prince George. The 19-year-old netminder is in a strong groove right now, and has certainly been a big factor in two of the club's past three victories. This afternoon he'll be tested early and often, and hopefully he's up for the challenge. The Cougars do not win today if Adam Beukeboom doesn't contribute in a big way.

X-FACTOR:

As talented as the Portland Winterhawks are offensively, the Cougars are no slouches themselves. In every way possible today the Cougars need to try and dictate the pace and momentum of the game. When they get a chance to drive the net hard they need to do so. Brendan Burke is a very strong goaltender, but the Cougars have chased some great goaltenders in recent games (Jarry, Laurikainen and Bartosak). Ultimately the Cougars cannot play today's game with any awe or fear. They need to realize that they belong on the same ice with the elite teams, and hopefully when all is said and done the Cougars can look in the win column and see seven straight.