Tonight in Prince George, a lengthy eight game homestand for the Prince George Cougars comes to an end as they face their B.C. Division rivals, the Vancouver Giants for a sixth time already this season. It’s strange to think that after tonight’s game, the Cougars will have played 24 games, six of which have come against one team. Last night’s game left a sour taste in some mouths as the Cougars were by and large the better team, outshooting Vancouver 37-21, but falling 6-4. It will now be up to the Cougars to dig deep and find a way to secure a split with Vancouver before heading on the road.

VANCOUVER GIANTS

Overview:

Troy Ward’s Vancouver Giants come into tonight’s game with a 9-12 record. Their 18 points has them ranked fifth in the B.C. Division and 10^th in the Western Conference. Despite that stat, the Giants are six points shy of the Prince George Cougars for fifth spot in the West. Last night’s victory improved Vancouver’s season series record against Prince George to 3-2. It was their first win against Prince George at the CN Centre in 2014-15.

Who’s Up Front:

18-year-old forward Thomas Foster led the way offensively for Vancouver last night with three assists. He’s firing at just under a point-per-game clip this season, and is tied with Jackson Houck for the team lead in assists with 13. Foster is on pace to obliterate his previous season high for points (24) and is getting used in all situations by his coaching staff. Look for Foster to try and build off of last night’s solid performance with another here tonight.

Who’s on D:

Last night the Vancouver Giants got mega contributions all over the board from their defencemen. Shaun Dosanjh, Arvin Atwal and Clayton Kirichenko all scored goals for Vancouver while Dmitry Osipov and Mason Geertsen also played a big factor in the game to some degree both offensively and physically. It wasn’t a defensive master-piece by any stretch for Vancouver, but at the end of the day, they won the game, and tonight they’ll have a chance to improve on some of their struggles from last night.

Who’s in Goal:

When rookie Cody Porter relieved Payton Lee early in the second period last night, the tide of the game turned. The Giants were still under some duress as the Cougars kept the pedal down through the mid-way point of the second, but Porter held his team in the game and ultimately earned his third victory of the season. Porter ended up stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced in relief, and almost certainly did his part to earn the start tonight in the rematch.

X-Factor:

Coming into the game, Vancouver’s power play was clicking at just under a 23 percent success rate, and that stat improved thanks to two goals on five opportunities last night. The Giants special teams was another big factor in their victory as they not only had the two power play tallies, but they also had a shorthanded goal. If they want the sweep, they’ll need special teams to be a big factor once again.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars come into tonight’s game with an 11-12 record through 23 games this season. They are ranked third in the B.C. Division and fifth in the crowded Western Conference standings. That said, the Cougars have dropped four straight, and a win tonight would give them a 4-4 split during their eight game homestand. Last night they seemingly had completely control of the game mid-way through – But the Giants found a way to creep back in, and ultimately the result did not go the way of the home team. Tonight’s it’s all about the pushback and response, and thankfully the quick turnaround doesn’t leave the Cougars long to think about last night’s disappointment.

Who’s Up Front:

The Prince George Cougars got offense last night from their usual suspects as Jansen Harkins, Chase Witala, Jari Erricson and David Soltes all recorded multi-point games. Chase Witala was particularly impressive as he chimed in with two goals, and is playing some tremendous hockey for the Cougars right now despite the recent string of losses. He’s one goal shy of the team lead, and is also two points shy of the team lead in points. Hopefully tonight can be another repeat performance from Witala and his linemates.

Who’s on D:

While hockey is often unpredictable, one thing that has become predictable for the Cougars this season is a solid, workman-like effort from their captain Sam Ruopp. The 18-year-old defenceman recorded an assist and was named the game’s first star last night after a strong performance at both ends of the ice. Despite the loss, Ruopp seemed to make a positive impact every time he hit the ice, which was often. His attention to detail defensively was strong and he was very active in the offensive zone as well. Another performance like that tonight from Ruopp would go a long way towards getting the Cougars back in the win column.

Who’s in Goal:

Ty Edmonds has been battling a bit of an illness in recent days, but appears to be on the mend, which could mean that he’ll be back between the pipes tonight as the Cougars face the Giants in the rematch. Last night wasn’t the most memorable for either Tavin Grant or Jared Rathjen, but despite the disappointment, both of them and the entire team for that matter need to put last night’s outing behind them and move forward. Hockey is filled with ups and downs, and both Jared Rathjen and Tavin Grant are more than capable of succeeding consistently at this level, and hopefully both will be ready to battle if/when called upon tonight along with Edmonds.

X-Factor:

For real this time, Zach Pochiro is ready to make his return to the Prince George Cougars lineup. Some flight issues kept Pochiro out of the lineup last night, but that will not be the case as he’s safely in Prince George and was on the ice with the team this morning for his first morning skate. Hopefully Pochiro’s insertion into the lineup can have a positive trickle-down effect to all involved. Whether it’s with a goal, a hit, a fight or a blocked shot – You know that Pochiro will be ready to make a positive impact in front of the New Ice Age crowd for the first time.