After a gut-wrenching last minute loss last night in Kelowna, the Prince George Cougars are looking to bounce back in a positive way tonight against the Blazers. Tonight these teams will meet for the eighth time this season, and so far the series has been very one-sided. Both teams are playing  their second game is as many nights, and if recent history suggests anything, fans are in for quite a thrill-ride tonight in Kamloops.

OVERVIEW:

Guy Charron’s Kamloops Blazers have had a real tough go as of late. Not only are they decimated by injuries, but they have dropped 11 straight games, and currently sit last overall in the WHL standings. But don’t think for even one second that the Cougars are in for an easy night. Each of the past two games that these two rivals have played each other in Kamloops have gone to either overtime or a shootout, and the games have also had a tendency to be quite high scoring.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

With 58 points in 55 games this season, Blazers forward Cole Ully has certainly put together a solid campaign so far. The Dallas Stars prospect might be one of the most underrated players in the entire WHL, and he can beat you with his steady mix of aggression, speed and skill. Look out for Ully tonight. He’s the real deal.

WHO’S ON D:

In a season filled with frustration, one of the major glaring bright spots for Kamloops has been the emergence of 18-year-old defenceman Josh Connolly. The Prince George native has had a hell of a season for the Blazers. With 10 goals and 41 points, not only does Connolly lead all Blazers’ d-men in scoring, but he’s second on the team in overall offense. The real strengh of Connolly’s game is speed. He might be the best pure-skating defencemen in the WHL.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

19-year-old netminder Boulton Pouliot has been a real workhorse this season for Kamloops. Acquired right before the season started, Pouliot had originally been sharing time with Taran Kozun (prior to Kozun’s trade) and is now ‘THE GUY’ in Kamloops. Don’t let his 6-21-0-2 record fool you, Pouliot can steal some wins at the blink of an eye.

X-FACTOR:

Do not  under estimate a team that has absolutely nothing to lose. Right now the Kamloops Blazers are all about playing the role of ‘spoiler.’ Having lost 11 straight games, you know that the Blazers would love nothing more than to put a serious dent in the Prince George Cougars playoff hopes by beating them here tonight. If the Cougars take the Blazers lightly in any way shape or form, it could be a tough night for the visitors.

OVERVIEW:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars are still five points out of a playoff spot with 12 games and 24 possible points still up for grabs. The Seattle Thunderbirds (and specially Russ Maxwell) did the Cougars an enormous favor last night by defeating the Tri-City Americans, but right now the 24-29-2-5 Cougars can no longer rely on the help of others.  They need to put together another winning streak and start picking up a little more positive traction as their number of remaining games continues to shrink.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

With two assists in last night’s game, Troy Bourke became the Prince George Cougars all-time leader in assists with 141. The 19-year-old product of Onoway, AB has represented the Cougars with such class over the past four years, and you know that he will be laying everything on the line over the next 12 games to help his team get into the post season. Hopefully Bourke has another multi-point night up his sleeve, because he’s now just 14 points back of Eric Hunter’s all-time Prince George Cougars scoring record.

WHO’S ON D:

Marc McNulty is on easily the best streak of his young WHL. Now with 10 points in his past nine games, McNulty has really blossomed offensively in 2014. Add the fact that he’s doing this while being paired against the opposing team’s top forwards on a nightly basis. Fans can certainly expect to see a lot of McNulty tonight, especially given how consistent and reliable he has been offensively.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

Adam Beukeboom darn nearly stole last night’s game for the Cougars, and frankly deserved a much better fate than the one that he ultimately received. Beukeboom is 5-5 since joining the Cougars, but has put forth some pretty solid efforts in 2014. Does he get the start in back-to-back nights? Or will Ty Edmonds get the nod tonight in Kamloops?

X-FACTOR:

Tonight in Kamloops the Cougars need to bring the exact same type of intensity and fire to the game that they did last night in Kelowna. Obviously the sting of last night’s loss will still linger, but the best way to remedy a broken heart from a loss is to win your next game. Make no mistake, tonight’s game is a ‘should win’ and a ‘must win’ for the Cougars.