At the quarter point of their season, the Prince George Cougars have a lot to feel good about. Their 10-8-0-0 record has them ranked second in the B.C. Division with 20 points. On home ice they’ve compiled a record of 6-3, and lately they’ve had a lot of home success against teams in their division going 4-0 in their last four home games against B.C. Division opponents. Tonight though is the start of a tough and very telling weekend as the Cougars get set to welcome Dave Lowry and the Victoria Royals for the first of back-to-back games at the CN Centre. These are two tough, evenly matched teams, and fans who make their way to the CN Centre this weekend should be in for a real treat.

VICTORIA ROYALS

Overview:

Dave Lowry’s Victoria Royals come into tonight’s game boasting a 9-8-2-0 record. Their 20 points has them right beside the Prince George Cougars in the B.C. Division standings. After a bit of a slow start, the Royals have gone 6-3-1-0 in their past 10 games. They’ve received balanced offense, steady goaltending and their depth on the back-end is a definite strength of their team. Last season Victoria went 7-1-0-0 against the Cougars.

Who’s Up Front:

20-year-old Calgary Flames prospect Austin Carroll has picked up right where he left off from last season. The California product leads the team in both goals (11) and points (23). His 34 goals last season were complimented by 23 assists and 114 penalty minutes. He does a little bit of everything, and last season against Prince George he had five goals and two assists in eight games against them.

Who’s on D:

With 21 points in 17 games, third-year defenceman Joe Hicketts sits second overall in scoring for WHL defenceman behind only Kelowna’s Madison Bowey. Hicketts only stands 5’8”, but makes up for his lack of size with his quickness and his compete level. He recorded 24 points in each of his first two seasons in the WHL, and he’ll shatter those totals this season assuming he stay healthy.  The Detroit Red Wings invited Hicketts to their camp on a tryout and he ended up signing a three year entry-level contract. The Kamloops native will no doubt be expected to carry a bulk of the load on the back end tonight for his team.

Who’s in Goal:

19-year-old Coleman Vollrath has carried a bulk of the goaltending load so far this season for Victoria. Vollrath has appeared in 18 of the team’s 19 games so far, and has put together an 8-7-2-0 record with a 3.35 goals-against-average and an .889 save percentage. Vollrath has a career record of 3-3 against the Cougars with a 2.32 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .922.

X-Factor:

Over the course of his four year WHL career, Victoria Royals forward Brandon Magee has feasted on the Prince George Cougars. In 32 career games, Magee has notched 11 goals, and 34 points altogether. It doesn’t seem to matter which building it is, or what time of year it is, Brandon Magee always seems to bring his best against the Prince George Cougars, and a handful of other teams as well. Magee has posted 12 points in his first seven games this season. Keeping Magee quiet would be a major step in the right direction for the Cougars who are looking for their fourth straight win, and their  third consecutive victory altogether on home ice.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars are right in the thick of things in a very difficult Western Conference. It’s staggering to realize that just four points separate the 10^th placed team from the third placed team in the Western Conference standings, meaning that a lengthy winning streak or losing streak can really alter the fortunes for a team in a hurry. The Cougars have won six of their past 10 games though, and are really playing well at home as of late. Tonight it’s all about establishing a physical tone against a Royals team that has played very well against the Cougars in recent years.

Who’s Up Front:

With Chase Witala out for the weekend with a suspension it will be up for all of the Cougars to make up for his absence offensively. Secondary scoring has been a major positive for the team as of late, and hopefully the likes of Jansen Harkins, Brad Morrison and Jared Bethune can build off of their solid game last Sunday against Kamloops. Morrison continues to play with some added energy as of late, having recorded points in five straight games.

Who’s on D:

Defensively the Cougars kept a high scoring Kamloops Blazers team to just three goals against in two games last weekend, and this weekend the challenge remains difficult as they go up against a talented crop of Victoria forwards. Defensively the Cougars are at their best when they are physical and structured, and both of those attributes are going to be of essence this weekend. Look for the likes of Sam Ruopp and Joe Carvalho to get a bulk of the minutes against Victoria’s top guns.

Who’s in Goal:

18-year-old Ty Edmonds was outstanding in both games last weekend for the Cougars against Kamloops. After a tough start to the season, Edmonds numbers are heading in the right direction. His 9-7 record is accompanied by a goals-against-average of 3.69 and a save percentage of .886. Statistically neither Edmonds or his counterpart Coleman Vollrath are where they’d ideally like to be, but Edmonds has proven time and time again this season that he can steal games for the Cougars. All odds are pointing to a couple of close games this weekend, and in those types of situations, goaltending can make all of the difference.

X-Factor:

The main difference for the Victoria Royals this time around when they head to the CN Centre will be the added atmosphere and energy created by the New Ice Age. It’s no secret that the crowd played a huge role in the team’s success last weekend against Kamloops, and this weekend should hopefully be no exception. The key for the Cougars will be to get the crowd involved early. They’ve scored the first goal in 15 of their first 18 games, and hopefully that is a trend that can continue as the second quarter of the 2014-15 WHL season kicks off tonight in Prince George.