Home ice continues to be a place of comfort for the Prince George Cougars who last night improved their home record to 7-3 and their overall record to 11-8 with a victory over the Victoria Royals. The Cougars have now won four consecutive games for a second time this season, and are riding a three game winning streak. A victory tonight would also give the Prince George Cougars three consecutive home ice sweeps against B.C. Division teams. The Victoria Royals fought valiantly to come back in last night’s game, but fell one goal short in the third period. The rematch should be equally as riveting at the CN Centre tonight.

VICTORIA ROYALS

Overview:

Through 20 games, Dave Lowry’s Victoria Royals are an even 9-9-2-0. Their 20 points has them in a tie for third place in the B.C. Division. The Royals have dropped three straight games, and are looking to avoid being the third straight B.C. Division opponent to be swept by the Prince George Cougars on home ice. The talent and size on the Royals roster is undeniable, and you know that the Royals coaching staff will have their team ready to go tonight.

Who’s Up Front:

Last night in Prince George, the Royals got offense from the usual suspects. Brandon Magee and Austin Carroll each had a goal and an assist for the visitors and both did their part offensively to keep the Royals in the game. In Magee’s case he has now scored 12 goals and 36 points in 33 career games against the Prince George Cougars.

Who’s on D:

20-year-old defenceman Travis Brown has proven to be an extremely valuable commodity for the Victoria Royals, particularly on the power play. The former Moose Jaw Warrior leads all Victoria blueliners in goals with six, all of which have come on the power play. Brown is very patient with the puck, makes an excellent first pass and brings a wealth of experience to an already solid back-end for Victoria.

Who’s in Goal:

Last night the Royals elected to give Jayden Sittler his first ever start in the WHL. Sittler made some big saves, but fell just short in a 3-2 loss. Tonight the odds are that we’ll see 19-year-old Coleman Vollrath draw back in for Victoria. Vollrath has played in 18 of the Royals 20 games on this season. He’s 3-3 lifetime against the Cougars.

X-Factor:

With two power play goals in last night’s game, Victoria has now registered at least one power play goal in nine consecutive games. Right now the Royals are playing with a lot of confidence when up an extra man, and the power play played a big role in getting Victoria back into the game during the third period last night. Special teams are likely to play a big role again tonight for both teams.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars are 11-8-0-0 through 19 games. They’ve won four consecutive games, and are red hot at home with victories in seven of their past eight games altogether. Mark Holick, Michael Hengen and Roman Vopat have been working tirelessly on a daily basis to get the very best effort out of this group, and clearly those efforts are paying off in big ways right now, especially on home ice. Tonight the Cougars have an incredible opportunity in front of them: A third consecutive sweep against a B.C. Division opponent at home – Something that the Cougars have never been able to do in their franchises 21 year history.

Who’s Up Front:

The red hot Brad Morrison extended his point streak to six consecutive games last night thanks to a two assist effort. The 17-year-old draft eligible forward is now fourth in team scoring, and is playing his best and most consistent hockey in a Cougars uniform. Morrison has the type of skills that can take over a game, and hopefully his newfound offensive confidence can carry forward into tonight, as the Cougars will once again need him to step up and be a big contributor with the likes of Chance Brand and Chase Witala out of the lineup.

Who’s on D:

Last night the Cougars were full marks defensively again, and they did so minus Marc McNulty who was out with an injury. Sam Ruopp and Joe Carvalho were predictably steady for the Cougars, but the trio of Tate Olson, Shane Collins and Martin Bobos also deserve a ton of credit and recognition for the key minutes that they contributed. Tonight it’s going to take a similar effort, and a similar mindset for the Cougars defensively if they want to earn a sweep over the Royals.

Who’s in Goal:

Great question! And there’s no easy answer. Given how well Ty Edmonds has played lately, how do you take him out? But perhaps you play a hunch and give Jared Rathjen a shot against his former team. Or maybe you give Tavin Grant an opportunity to earn his second straight victory. Either way you slice it, the Cougars have options and they have solid options at that. Ty Edmonds has been excellent during this homestand, and is doing everything in his power to earn his fourth straight start tonight.

X-Factor:

With Chase Witala (suspension), Chance Braid (suspension) and Marc McNulty (injury) out of the lineup tonight, the Cougars are once again going to need some of their younger players to rise up and take advantage of the opportunities that they are given. Whether it’s a young defenceman blocking a shot on the penalty kill or a young forward scoring a goal, it’s all about opportunity and making the most of it. A win tonight for the Cougars gives them six straight wins against B.C. Division rivals at home for the first time in their history.