Tonight in Red Deer, the Prince George Cougars will kick off a difficult stretch of three games, in three nights in three different Alberta cities. After winning four straight games earlier in October, the Cougars have now lost two straight, and will look to get back into the win column tonight against a Red Deer Rebels team that has had their share of struggles to start the 14-15 season.

 RED DEER REBELS

Overview:

Brent Sutter’s Red Deer Rebels come into tonight’s game with a 3-7-1-0 record. They have lost five straight games, and currently find themselves sitting fourth in the Central Division. The 2016 Memorial Cup hosts have been outscored 33-44 so far this season.

Who’s Up Front:

So far, so good for second year forward Adam Musil. The 6’3”, 208 forward leads all Red Deer forwards in goals (five) and points (10) through 11 games. The draft eliglbe forward is also a +2, and seems to be gaining more and more confidence with each passing game. Musil had a goal in Red Deer’s most recent game against Prince Albert.

Who’s on D:

20-year-old defenceman Brett Cote has fit in just fine with his new team. The former Victoria Royal is no stranger to the Prince George Cougars having played against them numerous times over the years, but his transition to a new team and a new conference has been seamless. Cote leads all Rebels with 11 points and you can expect to see a ton of him tonight in all situations against the Cougars.

Who’s in Goal:

18-year-old Saskatoon native Rylan Toth has seen a bulk of the work for the Rebels in goal so far this season. In 10 games, Toth has compiled a record of 3-5-1-0 with a goals-against-average of 3.68 and a save percentage of .877. His younger counterpart is Taz Burman who is 0-2.

X-Factor:

The Red Deer Rebels boast two first round picks from the 2014 NHL Draft in defenceman Haydn Fleury (Carolina) and Conner Bleackley (Colorado). Both have somewhat struggled statistically so far this season, but both have shown remarkable skill and consistency during their tenure in the WHL, and it’s only a matter of time before both start finding the score sheet with a little more regularity.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars will look to kick off their three game road swing on the right foot tonight at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer. So far during the month of October, the Cougars are 5-3, and bring a 7-6 record into tonight’s game, which pits them in third place overall in the B.C. Division. Only five points separate second from fifth in the B.C. Division, so despite the fact that it’s only late October, every point possible matters to this hockey club. The race for a playoff spot has already begun.

Who’s Up Front:

Wednesday night at home, the Prince George Cougars got goals from three of their four lines, and collectively the forwards seem to be playing with a high level of confidence. It was important for the likes of Brad Morrison, Chance Braid and Jared Bethune to score, because it takes a little bit of the pressure off of the top trio of Jari Erricson, Chase Witala and Jansen Harkins. Hopefully they can build off of that confidence and carry it into tonight’s game.

Who’s on D:

Defensively the Prince George Cougars continue to get valuable contributions from 18-year-old defenceman Sam Ruopp. Whether it’s chipping in with a couple of assists, a fight, or a huge hit, Ruopp has shown remarkable consistency and poise to start this season. With each passing game, he’s showing his teammates and his coaching staff that he wants to win at any cost, and tonight he’ll be tested as he’ll no doubt get a ton of minutes against the likes of Conner Bleakley and Wyatt Johnson tonight.

Who’s in Goal:

Goaltending is integral every night for the Cougars, and last Wednesday against Brandon, Ty Edmonds showed signs of both brilliance and inconsistency. Now with three games coming up in three nights, the Cougars are going to need both Ty Edmonds and Tavin Grant to be ready to go. Edmonds has put together a 7-6 record, but has lost both of his past two games. Assuming he gets the nod tonight against Red Deer, he’ll need tod o his part to get his team on the winning track again.

X-Factor:

Special teams was once again a determining factor in the opponent’s fortune Wednesday night against Brandon. The Wheat Kings converted on four of their eight power play chances, and arguably it was one of the major keys to victory for Brandon. The Cougars are showing definite improvement on their power play, which has now converted nine times over the past eight games. But tonight it will be especially important for the Cougars to keep the Rebels power play off the ice, because the likes of Bleackley, Cote, Fleury, Johnson etc. can all make you pay when you give them opportunities.