Tonight in Spokane, the Prince George Cougars look to extend their winning streak to five games as they wrap up a two-game Southbound road trip against Don Nachbaur’s Spokane Chiefs. Only one point separates the Cougars and the Chiefs in the standings and the next five days will be very telling as these two teams are bracing themselves for three consecutive matchups against each other. Playoffs in mid-December? Why not!

SPOKANE CHIEFS

Overview:

Don Nachbaur’s Spokane Chiefs bring a 15-12-3-0 record into tonight’s contest. The Chiefs are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are coming off a comeback victory of their own last night in Portland. They aren’t a team that littered with stars, but they do have an exceptionally hardworking group that can make teams pay if they’re taken lightly. You know full well that the Chiefs will have a little bit of revenge on their minds as they look to attone for a 6-2 loss to the Cougars that they suffered in early October.

Who’s Up Front:

19-year-old forward Adam Helewka leads all Spokane Chiefs forwards with 15 goals and 34 points in 29 games. The third year forward out of Burnaby, B.C. is proving that last year’s 50 point season was no fluke. In fact he’s on pace to slaughter his totals from a season ago. At 6’1” and 202 pounds, Helewka combines size, skill and smarts and will certainly be given every opportunity to succeed offensively tonight.

Who’s on D:

The undisputed leader on the backend for Spokane is 19-year-old Jason Fram. The product of South Delta, B.C. leads all Chiefs blueliners with six goals and 28 points in 29 games. He plays a ton of minutes in all situations and is a very calming influence for the Chiefs on the backend. Last season Fram had 57 points and played in all 72 games for Spokane, and this season he’s proving again that he might be one of the most underrated defencemen in the WHL.

Who’s in Goal:

The goaltending tandem of Garret Hughson and Tyson Verhelst has proven to be very reliable this season for Don Nachbaur’s team. Hughson is the number one with 22 games played, a 10-8-3-0 record, a 2.78 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .903. The 17-year-old Verhelst is having a strong rookie season in his own right with a 5-4 record in 10 games played with a 2.82 goals-against-average and a .900 save percentage. Either guy gives the Chiefs a legitimate chance to win on a nightly basis.

X-Factor:

Tonight is the Teddy Bear Toss game for Spokane and a massive crowd is expected at the Spokane Arena. So far this season the Cougars are 2-0 in Teddy Bear Toss games, but the Spokane Arena is a different animal. There will be 10,000 screaming fans on hand tonight, and the Cougars will need do everything in their power to keep this crowd quiet. Because you know that the Chiefs will be doing everything in their power to get their home crowd fired up early and often.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars come into tonight’s game with a 17-15-0-0 record. Their 34 points has them ranked third in the B.C. Division just two points shy of the second placed Victoria Royals. Three separate times this season the Cougars have won four straight games, but have not won five straight yet. Tonight will not be easy in the slightest, but the Cougars are a confident bunch and are more than up for the challenge.

Who’s Up Front:

17-year-old forward Jansen Harkins had himself quite a game last night in Everett. Not only did Harkins score the first goal for the Cougars to put them on the board, but he also fought Dawson Leedahl in the first period to spark his team. Harkins goal was his 10^th of the season and also counted for his 35^th point, which is already a new career high for him. In 67 games last season he struck for 10 goals and 34 points. Harkins is a gamer in every sense of the word, and you know that he’ll be looking to be a key contributor again tonight for his team.

Who’s on D:

With the game tied 1-1 late in the third period last night, second year defenceman Tate Olson gave the Cougars the lead with a blast from the left point. It was Olson’s fourth goal of the season and his third game winner. What was most impressive about Olson’s game and the team’s defensive game as a whole was the fact that they held a strong Everett team to just one goal, and did so without the services of their captain Sam Ruopp. Everybody stepped up and took advantage of their added minutes, and hopefully Olson and company are up for another strong outing tonight.

Who’s in Goal:

Ty Edmonds got his fifth straight start in goal last night and earned his fourth straight win in the process. He faced 27 shots and made 26 saves and is playing some extremely confident and calm hockey for the Cougars right now. Granted he’s had some good help in front of him in recent games, but Edmonds is certainly helping his own cause with his strong play. His goals-against-average is creeping closer to the ‘3’ mark and his save percentage is nearing .890. Another big night from Edmonds will be key for the Cougars on the road tonight.

X-Factor:

Tonight for the Cougars it’s all about staying the course. Fatigue is bound to play a bit of a factor for both teams who arrived back in Spokane early this morning, but the major key for the Cougars will be to stick to their strengths: Speed, aggressiveness and timely offense. Spokane is routinely a difficult place to win, but the Cougars have done it once before, and tonight they have a great opportunity in front of them to build some further traction ahead of the break while sending a message to another Western Conference rival in the process.