The 2013-2014 regular season continues to wind down, and tonight the Prince George Cougars return to action with their second of three consecutive meetings with the CHL’s top team, the Kelowna Rockets. After last night’s 4-2 loss, the mood is understandably sour in Prince George, as the Cougars felt like they weren’t at their best last night. But mathematically the Cougars are still right on the cusp of a playoff spot in the West, and tonight the Cougars have a chance to redeem themselves in front of family. It’s ‘family weekend’ in Prince George, and hopefully tonight the Cougars can respond with a positive showing and will their way to victory for the first time in 14 tries against Kelowna.

OVERVIEW:

Ryan Huska’s Kelowna Rockets probably won’t frame and laminate last night’s performance either, but at the end of the day they have another victory and two more points to show for their effort. As per usual, the Rockets showed poise and patience, and did not panic in the early stages when things weren’t exactly going their way. At 48-8-0-4, the Rockets boast the league’s top record and have won five consecutive games heading into tonight’s rematch.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Selected in the fifth round of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft, Kelowna Rockets rookie forward Justin Kirkland is having a whale of a season. With 13 goals and 38 points, Kirkland is eighth in team scoring, but this season, particularly against Prince George, Kirkland has had a knack for scoring timely goals. Back in early November, Kirkland had the shootout winner for Prince George, and last Friday he assisted on Rourke Chartier’s game winner. Last night he had a goal and an assist and was one of the most stable and consistent forwards all night long for Ryan Huska’s team.

WHO’S ON D:

With two goals and nine points in six games so far this season, Rockets defenceman Damon Severson continues to lead all Rockets in scoring this season against Prince George. The New Jersey Devils prospect continues to excel at both ends of the ice, and last night he provided a ton of stability and poise to the Rockets back-end. Limiting Severson’s time and space tonight will be extremely important for the Cougars if they hope to win tonight.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

In six games this season against the Rockets, the Cougars have faced both Jordan Cooke and Jackson Whistle three times. Both Cooke and Whistle have been stellar against the Cougars this season, and have led the Rockets to six unanswered victories. Last night Whistle faced 37 shots and made 35 saves, and was particularly sharp early on in the game, stopping all 13 shots he faced in the first period. It would come as no surprise if Whistle earned the nod again tonight, but perhaps it’s Cooke’s turn to try and extend the streak for the Rockets.

X-FACTOR:

The Kelowna Rockets have now won 13 straight games against the Prince George Cougars dating back to October 2012. Erasing that type of stigma is not an easy thing to do for the Cougars, and right now for whatever reason the Rockets just seem to have the Cougars number. At this stage of the season you look for motivation wherever you can find it, and tonight the Rockets will look to make it six straight wins altogether, and 14 straight against the Cougars.

OVERVIEW:

After winning six straight games at the end of January and into early February, the Cougars are now all of a sudden struggling. They only have one win in their last seven games, and while their schedule is proving difficult, there is nobody out there, particularly in the Tri-Cities that are feeling sorry for the Cougars. Last night was not an effort that the coaching staff was particularly proud of, and the message tonight is simple: Battle harder, and make the Rockets earn their breaks, rather than simply giving them their chances.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Another game, and another goal for 20-year-old forward Todd Fiddler who is now tied for second in the WHL for goals with 41. Fiddler needs just one goal to match his previous season high from a season ago, and with eight games remaining in the season, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Fiddler can reach 50 – Although he’d certainly need a multi-goal game or two to reach that milestone. More important than any individual accolades though is the team goal of reaching the post season. Nobody understands that more than Fiddler and you can bet that he’ll be ready for another big offensive night tonight against the Rockets.

WHO’S ON D:

When it comes to offense from the back-end, the Prince George Cougars once again received some offense from 18-year-old Red Wings prospect Marc McNulty. Now with 17 goals on the season, McNulty is tied for third among WHL defenceman for goals, and is now just five goals shy of matching Dustin Byfuglien’s single season Cougars record for goals scored by a defenceman (22). McNulty didn’t have the most memorable game from a defensively stand-point last night, but again with a new day comes a new opportunity, and McNulty will certainly need to be at his best if the Cougars hope to halt the Rockets winning streak.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

For a second straight time out against Kelowna, Adam Beukeboom gave his team a chance against the Rockets. Unfortunately for Beukeboom he was once again out-dueled by the goaltender across the way. Odds are good that the Cougars will give Ty Edmonds a look tonight against Kelowna, and will see if the 17-year-old can try and steal one for the Cougars in a similar fashion to the way he stole a win last Sunday in Seattle.

X-FACTOR:

Pay. The. Price. If the Cougars are going to halt their losing streak against the Kelowna Rockets it is going to take a gutsy and daring effort from all of the available soldiers on the Cougars bench. Tonight they need to be physical, disciplined and most importantly they need to be aware of their situations. With Mom and Dad in the stands, the Cougars have a chance to really leave a lasting impression. And who knows! A win against the top team in the CHL could do wonders for this team’s confidence as their stretch drive continues.