The wait is over. After four full seasons and countless ups and downs, the Prince George Cougars are back where they belong. Tonight, in Victoria the Prince George Cougars will play their first playoff game in the New Ice Age, and will look for their first playoff victory since April 25^th, 2007. The task at hand is a difficult one though, as Dave Lowry’s Victoria Royals pose an extreme challenge to the Cougars in round one. But despite their in-experience and underdog status, the Cougars are heading into the postseason feeling good about their game, and hopefully their strong finish to the regular season can translate into some early postseason success.

VICTORIA ROYALS

Overview:

Dave Lowry’s Victoria Royals finished the 2014-15 WHL regular season with a record of 39-29-3-1. Their 82 points had them ranked second in the B.C. Division, and fifth overall in the Western Conference. During the regular season the Royals went 5-3 against the Cougars and were 3-1 against them at the Save On Foods Memorial Centre. The Royals are a veteran-laden team with a ton of playoff experience. Last season the Royals advanced to the second round of the playoffs before dropping the Western Semi-Final series in five games to Portland.

Who’s Up Front:

Victoria Royals 20-year-old forward Austin Carroll led the way offensively for Victoria in 2014-15. In 69 games played this season, Carroll tallied 38 times and added 39 assists for 77 points, which led the team. Carroll also led the Royals with 124 penalty minutes and in plus-minus with a +23 rating. In eight games this season against the Cougars, Carroll scored four goals and added six assists for 10 points. Oh yeah, yesterday he signed an entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames. Carroll figures to be a prominent player in this series, and the Cougars will need to make life tough for him whenever possible.

Who’s on D:

Victoria Royals 18-year-old captain Joe Hicketts is the total package. The fleet-footed Hicketts led all Victoria defencemen in scoring with 64 points in 62 games. Only Calgary’s Travis Sanheim had more points this year on the back-end, and when you factor in Hicketts’ defensive skill-set, and his ability to skate and block-shots, there are few (if any) that can bring it like he can on a nightly basis. The Detroit Red Wings prospect won a gold medal with Canada at the 2015 World Juniors and had six assists in six games played this season against the Cougars. The Cougars can expect to see a TON of Hicketts during this series.

Who’s in Goal:

The Victoria Royals have a difficult decision to make with regards to their goaltending. The 19-year-old tandem of Coleman Vollrath ( .905 save percentage) and Justin Paulic (.902 save percentage) have similar numbers, and similar experiences with regards to post-season play. The two veterans have  three post-season games played combined, but Vollrath has backed up in each of the past two seasons when Victoria has made it to the dance. Vollrath might get the edge because of his stellar numbers against the Cougars. This season in five games, Vollrath is 4-0 with a 2.19 goals-against-average and a .925 save percentage.

X-Factor:

The glaring x-factor for the Victoria Royals in this series is 20-year-old forward Branden Magee. The Edmonton, AB native has dominated the Cougars throughout his five-year WHL career. In 36 career regular season games, Magee has scored 17 goals and 44 points total. The only season of his career that Magee didn’t average at least a point-per-game against the Cougars was his 16-year-old season back in 2010-2011. He’s a great skater, a terrific passer, and his toughness is often overlooked too. The Cougars will need to try and keep Magee contained, because he’s the type of player that can burn you in a hurry if you’re not careful.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars wrapped up the 2014-15 WHL regular season with an overall record of 31-36-2-3. Their 67 points had them ranked third in the B.C. Division, and seventh overall in the Western Conference. Their 31 wins is a four win improvement from a season ago, and their 67 points is a five-point improvement as well. The Cougars were 3-3-1-1 against the Royals this season, and were 1-2-1-0 against them in Victoria. Heading into the post season, the Cougars are on a roll. They’ve earned at least a single point in nine of their last 12 games. They’ve won eight of their last 12, 10 of their last 15 and have earned at least a point in 14 of their last 19 games.

Who’s Up Front:

For the Prince George Cougars, success offensively begins with their top trio of Jansen Harkins, Chase Witala and Zach Pochiro. All three players were a point-per-game or better during the 2014-15 season, and all three have the ability to take a game over with their skills. None of the above three have played a single second of WHL playoff action, meaning that all three are going to be thrown into the fire early on. The biggest key for Harkins, Witala and Pochiro: stay the course, and don’t try and do too much. In all likelihood, the Cougars top line is going to see a steady diet of Joe Hicketts and Chaz Redekopp, and the Royals are no doubt going to try and take a chunk out of them any chance they get. If these three can stay disciplined and take advantage of their chances, they are going to be a handful for the Royals defense.

Who’s on D:

Success in this series won’t come from just one or two defensemen. It has to be a collective effort back there from the Cougars, who will need to be prepared to answer the bell physically. The Royals are not shy in the least about crashing the net hard and making life tough for opposing goaltenders. Like the forwards, the defensemen need to be aware, and need to be disciplined. If this series becomes penalty-filled, the advantage probably goes to Victoria, but if the Cougars can keep it to five-on-five or better they are going to give themselves every opportunity to win. It can’t be stressed enough though: discipline and details will be a major factor for the Cougars in this series, especially on the defensive end!

Who’s in Goal:

Early in his WHL career, 18-year-old Ty Edmonds has been an absolute work-horse for the Prince George Cougars. After playing in 55 games last season as a rookie, Edmonds has dressed in another 60 this season. Though his numbers aren’t the shiniest, it’s impossible to not take note of just how solid and strong Ty Edmonds has been since February. Since February 14^th, Edmonds has started in 12 of the Cougars final 13 games, and is 10-4-1-2 since February 1^st. This will be Ty Edmonds first taste of WHL playoff action too, and you know that he’s going to be excited for the opportunity to help lead his team to victory.

X-Factor:

You do not win in the playoffs without goaltending, and for the Prince George Cougars, Ty Edmonds is the ultimate x-factor in this series. You see it every season: a goaltender gets hot, and the rest of the team rallies around him and wins a series or two, or three or more. For the Cougars, Ty Edmonds has all of the tools necessary to be that guy. Mark Holick keeps saying that the Cougars have been playing playoff hockey since February, and Ty Edmonds has played a major role in the team’s recent success. Now the slate is wiped clean for Edmonds, and he has a terrific opportunity tonight and this weekend to help get this series off on the right foot for the Cougars.