The Prince George Cougars have officially arrived into `must win` territory for here on out. Not only do the Prince George Cougars need to win a minimum of three of their final four games to give them a realistic chance at a playoff spot, but they still need a ton of help from teams like Everett, Spokane, Seattle, Kelowna and Portland. Tonight though, the only thing the Cougars need to focus on is the opponent, the Spokane Chiefs. A win for the Cougars tonight against Spokane could very-well make things interesting again in the Western Conference playoff standings.

OVERVIEW:

Don Nachbaur`s Spokane Chiefs come into this weekend with plenty still to play for, despite the fact that their playoff birth has already been solidified. The Chiefs are currently in the midst of a battle for fifth place with the Everett Silvertips, and the Chiefs currently hold a one-point edge on Everett with six games to go. With a record of 36-24-3-3, the Chiefs are once again the model of consistency when it comes to making the playoffs, but tonight they`ll look to put an end to their three game losing streak.

WHO`S UP FRONT:

With 57 goals and 107 points in just 66 games, Spokane forward Mitch Holmberg comes into this weekend tied for the league lead in points and alone in the lead for goals. Holmberg has torched many a team this season with his offense and the Cougars are no exception. In two games against the Cougars, Holmberg has four goals and four assists. That said, Holmberg has gone pointless in three straight games, and if the Cougars want to win tonight they will need to try and keep Holmberg in check as best as possible.

WHO`S ON D:

19-year-old defenceman Reid Gow will never receive the same type of accolades and attention like Shea Theodore or Derrick Pouliot, and he probably likes it that way. Gow has put together is second straight 50-point season on the back-end for the Chiefs and is currently sixth overall in league scoring for defencemen with six goals and 56 points. He along with Jason Fram are two of the top offensive defencemen in the entire WHL, and are especially potent on the power play.

WHO`S IN GOAL:

20-year-old Eric Williams comes into this weekend with a record of 30-17-2-2. His numbers are certainly respectable with a 2.64 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .908, and so far this season he is 2-0 against the Cougars. His backup is 18-year-old Garrett Hughson who is 6-7-1-1.

X-FACTOR:

Sure Mitch Holmberg has received an overwhelming majority of the press and attention this season for his efforts offensively, but his linemate Mike Aviani has certainly been a huge contributor to Holmberg`s success. The 20-year-old Aviani has six points in two games this season against the Cougars and this season has reached new season highs for goals (32) and points (71). Aviani is just as dangerous from in close as Holmberg, and together they make up one of the top dynamic duos in the entire WHL.

OVERVIEW:

Mark Holick`s Prince George Cougars come into tonight`s game looking to snap a three game losing streak. With a record of 26-34-3-5, the Cougars are currently four points shy of eighth place in the Western Conference with just four games remaining on their schedule. To win out from here on out would give them the best opportunity to get into the playoffs, but it`s very important that the Cougars don`t get overly consumed with games down the road. Their primary focus must be on the task at hand tonight, and tonight only.

WHO`S UP FRONT:

With at least one point in his past 18 games, 20-year-old forward Todd Fiddler will once again be the go-too-guy offensively for Prince George. Fiddler sits second overall in WHL goal scoring, and is five goals shy of 50 with four games remaining. Fiddler leads all Cougars with five points in two games played against Spokane this season, and you know this weekend that Fiddler is going to want to stick it to his former team as often as possible.

WHO`S ON D:

Defensively the Prince George Cougars will need to do something that few teams have managed to do consistently this season, and that is to stop Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani. Experienced players like Wil Tomchuk, Peter Kosterman and Marc McNulty are probably going to see a brunt of the work against the top two Chiefs, and collectively they will need to be aggressive without being undisciplined. Keeping those two silenced would go a long way to ensure the Cougars are still alive in their push for a playoff spot at the end of this weekend.

WHO`S IN GOAL:

Which goaltender is going to seize the opportunity? That question has been asked for the entire second half of the season, and still nobody has taken the ball and run with it to the point where the starter is obvious. Last weekend both Ty Edmonds and Adam Beukeboom had their moments, but both also surrendered soft goals that killed momentum for the Cougars. Whoever gets the nod tonight will need to be a star in this game, the Cougars season may depend on it.

X-FACTOR:

Could this be the night where Troy Bourke matches or surpasses Eric Hunter’s Prince George Cougars scoring record? Coming into the weekend, Bourke just needs three more points to match the record and four to surpass it. Beyond all milestones though, Troy Bourke needs to be at his best, because it is going to take a monster effort from the Cougars top guns to keep their season alive. A big night from Bourke could very well mean a big night for the Cougars, and hopefully when all is said and done, the Cougars are two points out of eighth when all is said and done.