The Prince George Cougars season-long homestand continues tonight with game number seven (of eight). Tonight for the third time the Prince George Cougars play host to Troy Ward and the Vancouver Giants. So far this season the Cougars are 2-2 against Vancouver. They’ve won both games at home against them by 2-1 scores, and have lost both games away from the CN Centre to Vancouver. There’s lots on the line tonight for Prince George as they look to take advantage of a Vancouver team that has won just twice in their last 10 games. The Cougars will also have an added spark in their lineup tonight as 20-year-old forward Zach Pochiro returns to the team. A B.C. Division rivalry, the return of a signed NHL prospect, and a frenzied CN Centre Atmosphere? Sounds like an awesome Tuesday night.

VANCOUVER GIANTS

OVERVIEW:

Troy Ward’s Vancouver Giants come into tonight with an 8-12 record which puts them fifth in the B.C. Division and 10^th in the Western Conference standings. That said, the standings are so close that only eight points separate third placed Victoria from 10^th placed Vancouver, and a few wins or a few losses in a row can drastically change the landscape of the conference.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

19-year-old Jackson Houck always seems to bring his best when the Prince George Cougars are involved, and this season is no exception. In four games against the Cougars, Houck has managed four goals and eight points, which is tops among all Giants. Houck has six goals and 19 points in 18 games so far this season for Vancouver, and he along with Carter Popoff and Joel Hamilton provide the lion’s share of Vancouver’s offense.

WHO’S ON D:

Colorado Avalanche prospect Mason  eertsen leads all Vancouver defencemen with 13 points in 19 games so far this season. Though he’s known primarily as a defense-first type of player, Geertsen’s offense has evolved as he’s gained more experience in the WHL. Opposing teams can always count on a steady helping of Mason Geertsen, and the 6’4”, 212 pound defenceman is bound to get a ton of minutes against some of the Cougars top guns.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

The goaltending tandem of Payton Lee and Cody Porter certainly gives head coach Troy Ward two capable options between the pipes. The older Lee is 6-9 with a lower 3.02 goals-against-average but the 17-year-old Porter has a 2-2 record with an .898 save percentage. The Cougars have one victory this season against each Giants netminder, so tonight it’s up to coach Ward to pick the guy who he thinks will give him the best chance to win.

X-Factor:

The Vancouver Giants come into tonight’s game boasting the sixth best power play in the WHL. The Giants are firing at a 22.9 percent success rate and have no shortage of capable offensive options with which to proceed with. Discipline was an issue for the Cougars last weekend against Kelowna, and they’ll need to be wary of Vancouver’s special teams success.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

OVERVIEW:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars come into tonight’s game looking to snap a three game home losing streak. After starting their homestand 3-0, they’ve since dropped three straight (one to Victoria and two to Kelowna). Tonight they’ll look to get back on a winning track against a team that they’ve had mixed results against this season. There should be plenty of added energy tonight as the Cougars look forward to welcoming back one of their top players from a season ago.

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Fresh off a stint in both the AHL and ECHL, Zach Pochiro returns to Prince George for his third season. The Las Vegas native had 27 goals and 66 points a season ago for the Cougars, and also added well over 100 minutes in penalties. He’s the type of player that can bring a little bit of every to the table, and his presence in the lineup should have a tremendously positive effect on everybody, especially up front. Provided Pochiro’s flight makes it on time, he’ll be in the lineup and raring to go tonight against Vancouver.

WHO’S ON D:

Defensively the Prince George Cougars are looking to bounce back after a tough weekend against Kelowna. While the Giants are not firing at the same clip as Rockets are offensively, that still doesn’t mean that the defense can take their foot off the gas. The injury to Marc McNulty has forced the likes of Shane Collins, Tate Olson, Josh Anderson and Martin Bobos to play more minutes than maybe they are used too, but with added minutes comes added opportunity and experience. Tonight the defense-corps will need to be disciplined, smart and do their best to help contribute offensively when presented with the opportunity.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

Mark Holick does not have an easy decision to make here. Does he go back to Ty Edmonds who struggled during Saturday’s loss to the Rockets? Does he go with the 20-year-old Jared Rathjen and sit one of Chance Braid, Jari Erricson or Zach Pochiro? Or does he go with the 16-year-old Tavin Grant who hasn’t played much, but has looked sharp in his past two outings. It’s not an easy call, but whoever gets the nod in goal will need to ready to battle as the Vancouver Giants are not a team that makes things easy on their opponents due to their size, skill and hustle.

X-FACTOR:

Offensively the Prince George Cougars have to feel confident due to the re-addition of Zach Pochiro to the lineup. The trickle effect that this provides is a major positive. The addition of Pochiro takes less pressure off the shoulders of the likes of Jansen Harkins, Chase Witala, Brad Morrison and Jari Erricson, and it also adds some valuable experience to the lineup as well. Hopefully the presence of Pochiro can put everybody at a little more ease, and help get this team back on the winning track here tonight.