After a nine day break, the Prince George Cougars return to action tonight in Victoria. It’s the official halfway point of the 2014-15 season for the Prince George Cougars, and as they prepare for their 36^th game, there’s no shortage of mystery surrounding the Northern bunch. Throughout the first half, the Cougars have shown a wide variety of personalities, and one of the main goals for the second half will be to zero in on consistency as the push towards the postseason continues in the Western Conference. Tonight, a difficult task awaits as the Cougars kickoff a five game road trip against five straight B.C. Division opponents.

VICTORIA ROYALS

Overview:

Enio Sacilloto’s Victoria Royals – Yes, you read correctly. Enio Sacilloto’s Victoria Royals come into tonight’s game having dropped four straight games. With head coach Dave Lowry out East with Canada’s World Junior Team, Sacilloto has taken the reigns of this Victoria team and is looking to lead them back into the win column here tonight. Victoria is an even 17-17-2-1 on the season and are 3-6-0-1 in their past 10 games overall. In Prince George earlier this season the Royals went 1-1. They’ve gone seven straight games at home against the Cougars without a loss.

Who’s Up Front:

With 22 goals and 41 points in 35 games, 20-year-old Austin Carroll is the offensive leader for the Victoria Royals. He has goals in each of his past two games and has three points in his first two meetings with the Cougars this season. The Calgary Flames prospect has a nose for the net and is a versatile and dependable forward that should see a ton of ice time in all situations for the Royals tonight.

Who’s on D:

With captain Joe Hicketts away at the World Juniors and Keegan Kanzig recently traded to Calgary, even more pressure now falls onto the shoulders of 20-year-old Travis Brown. That’s okay though because he’s more than able to shoulder that type of work-load. In 37 games this season, Brown has 13 goals and 31 points which puts him fifth in league scoring for defencemen.

Who’s in Goal:

Between the pipes the Royals are led by 19-year-old Coleman Vollrath. Last season Vollrath posted the top save percentage in the WHL, but has struggled this season to maintain consistency. He’s 14-11-2-1 with an .889 save percentage and a 3.57 goals-against-average and two shutouts. Vollrath is 1-0 against the Cougars this season. Backing him up is rookie Jayden Sittler who despite his 2-5 record has a 2.32 goals-against-average and a stellar .922 save percentage.

X-Factor:

20-year-old forward Brandon Magee simply loves playing the Cougars. In 34 career games, Magee has posted 13 goals and 38 points. In just 17 games this season, Magee has mustered 29 points. He’s shifty, scrappy and consistent. Now with all of that said, he’s missed some time recently due to injury and is questionable for this weekend’s double-header with Prince George. But you know that Magee is going to do everything in his power to make sure he’s ready to go tonight, and if he draws in the Cougars will need to do their part to keep him contained.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars come into tonight’s game with a 17-18-0-0 record. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are 8-7 on the road this season in 15 tries. After reeling off four straight wins in early December, the Cougars stumbled somewhat in the middle portion of the month dropping three straight games to Spokane. Tonight they’ll look for their first victory since November 23^rd, 2012 in Victoria.

Who’s Up Front:

As we reach the halfway mark of the season, Cougars second year forward Jansen Harkins has a lot to be happy about. His 39 points in 35 games is tops on the team, and his improvement becomes more and more noticible with each passing game. Prior to the break, Harkins and his linemates Brad Morrison and Aaron Macklin were really gelling and starting to excel. Hopefully Harkins and company can continue to elevate their play, especially on the road in some difficult buildings.

Who’s on D:

Defensively the Cougars are going to have to rely on their big three of Sam Ruopp, Joe Carvalho and Marc McNulty. The three Cougar veterans can all contribute offensively, but mainly it will be their mission to protect their own zone first while making life extremely difficult for the Royals offensively. Success on the road begins with defense and attention to details, and hopefully tonight the Cougars can play to their strengths in all areas. A strong defensive effort will be vital tonight.

Who’s in Goal:

On some nights, Ty Edmonds is a world class goaltender who plays with supreme confidence. Other nights, he plays like an 18-year-old who is still in the midst of forging a consistent identity for himself in the WHL. In December so far we’ve seen both sides of Ty Edmonds, and hopefully tonight in Victoria Edmonds can regain some of the swagger that he had early in the month when he beat Kelowna, Kamloops, Saskatoon and Everett in an eight day period. If the Cougars get THAT Ty Edmonds, they’re going to give themselves every opportunity to win.

X-Factor:

A major key for the Cougars tonight will be leadership. It’s the first game back after a long break and the team has not had the luxury of practicing before their big road trip. It’s only natural that there might be a bit of rink rust and some nerves, but that can all be quelled by decent leadership and widespread intensity throughout the lineup. The Cougars are at their best when they’re fast and physical, and those two ingredients will be critical for the Cougars to succeed here tonight.