Tonight in Vancouver the Prince George Cougars return to action when they begin a two game B.C. Division road trip with one final clash with the Vancouver Giants at the Pacific Coliseum.

So far this week the Cougars are 1-1 having split a double-header at home with Seattle earlier in the week. Now the Cougars head to a building where they are 3-0 so far. In fact the road team has won all five meetings between the Cougars and Giants this season, which might serve as a good omen for the Cougars who have won three straight on the road heading into tonight’s matchup and nine of their last 11 overall away from CN Centre.

VANCOUVER GIANTS 

Overview: 

Lorne Molleken’s Vancouver Giants have really turned things around, so much so that they are only six points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Their record sits at 17-22-3-2 and they currently trail the Spokane Chiefs by six points for eighth place in the West. The Giants are 6-3-1-0 in their past 10 games and are 2-3 against the Cougars this season. The Giants though were in action last night against Everett and fell by a 3-2 score in regulation time. This will be their second game within a 24 hour span so fatigue could be somewhat of a factor. 

Who’s Up Front: 

With three goals and seven points in four games against the Cougars this season, forward Alec Baer leads all Giants forwards in scoring against Prince George. After a slow start to the season, Baer has now scored 15 goals and added 15 assists for 30 points in 41 games this season. He’s got seven points in six January games and has scored goals in back-to-back games heading into tonight. 

Who’s on D: 

One of the most underrated defencemen in the entire WHL might just be Vancouver’s Brennan Menell. The Woodbury, MN native leads all Vancouver defencemen with four goals and 28 points and is a -2 – Not awful considering at one point of the season he was a -13. Menell has been particularly strong against the Cougars having recorded a goal and seven assists for eight points which is tops out of any Giant in scoring against the Cougars this season. In six January games, Menell has recorded a goal and eight assists for nine points. 

Who’s in Goal: 

17-year-old Ryan Kubic has been a busy goaltender for the Vancouver Giants. How so? Well he’s started 23 consecutive games for Vancouver and in that span is 12-9-1-0. Oh yeah, he’s 17! Kubic may for all intents and purposes have saved the Vancouver Giants season. He’s been THAT valuable. Against the Cougars this season he’s 2-1 in four starts with a 3.62 goals-against-average and a .903 save percentage. On the season as a whole he’s 12-12-2-0 with three shutouts. Will tonight be his 24^th consecutive start? All signs point to yes. 

X-Factor: 

Prior to this season the Cougars had struggled mightily in Vancouver winning just twice in 16 games. Well for whatever reason the Cougars have had Vancouver’s number in Vancouver this season posting three consecutive victories all in regulation. The biggest issue facing the Giants tonight? Fatigue. Thanks to the 5:00 start and the fact that the Giants played last night at home at 7:30, it will mark two games within a 24 hour period for the Giants. Now of course these are junior hockey players and they are elite athletes and back-to-back games are a big reality in this line of work. But the Cougars will be fresher, no doubt which means Vancouver will need to manage their game effectively with fast changes, timely scoring and discipline. There’s no love lost between these clubs, especially considering the fact that all of the matchups seem to be hard hitting intense affairs. 

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS 

Overview: 

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars are coming into tonight’s game with an overall record of 26-16-1-1. Their 54 points have them ranked third in the B.C. Division two points back of Victoria for second with a game in hand. They are 5-5 in their past 10 games and are coming off a double-header split at home earlier this week against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Tuesday night the Cougars cruised to a 6-2 victory but fell the next night 4-0. That said, the road has been awfully friendly to the Cougars this season as they are 11-8-0-1 away from home, and three of those 11 wins have come in Vancouver. 

Who’s Up Front: 

The trio of Chase Witala, Jesse Gabrielle and Brogan O’Brien have made life difficult for many opposing teams this season, but especially the Vancouver Giants. Witala has five goals and six assists for 11 points while Gabrielle has chimed in with six goals and four assists. Let’s not forget the centerman Brogan O’Brien who has two goals and five assists for seven points in five games. It’s not a stretch to suggest that those three players in particular will need to be at their best tonight in order to help the Cougars to another victory. Witala comes into this game just six goals shy of the all-time goal scoring record for the Prince George Cougars and will hope to inch a little closer to that mark tonight. 

Who’s on D: 

The double-header against the Thunderbirds earlier this week was contrasting to say the least. Tuesday’s 6-2 victory was arguably one of the Cougars most complete defensive games of 2016 if not the entire season as a whole. The skilled players for Seattle struggled all night to get any traction going and much of the credit goes to the Cougars defensively who were strong in all areas. The next night was a bit puzzling as the game was tied zero-zero through 40 minutes, and yet Seattle was able to strike four times unanswered in the third to win 4-0. The positive news here is that one of the major trademarks of the 2015-16 Cougars has been their ability to bounce back after tough games with better efforts, and tonight they’ll be asked to do the same thing as they look to keep pace with the Royals in the B.C. Division standings. 

Who’s in Goal: 

Given the fact that Nick McBride is still a tiny bit banged up, it looks as though Ty Edmonds is going to get his sixth consecutive start between the pipes tonight for Prince George. Over his past five starts, Edmonds has put together a 3-2 record and has been strong really in all five of the games win or lose. Edmonds can hardly be faulted for Wednesday’s 4-0 loss as he was brilliant in the first 40 minutes and never stopped battling even when Seattle took over the game in the third period. Edmonds record still remains strong as he’s 14-8-0-1 this season with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. In three games against Vancouver this season Edmonds is 1-1 with a .934 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against-average. 

X-Factor: 

The Prince George Cougars will need to dictate the pace of play tonight in Vancouver. Mark Holick has said it time and time again that when his team dictates the pace of play and the physicality that it provides his group with the best chance to win. Well tonight that is going to be crucial as the Giants are not a team that backs down from the physical stuff, particularly now with the re-addition of forward Taylor Crunk. Teams that win on the road are often the teams that are willing to sacrifice the most, whether it be blocking shots, making hits or taking hits. Confidence shouldn’t be a concern for the Cougars as they are 3-0 in Vancouver this season and they should have a bit of added snarl to their step considering that the Giants won both games in Prince George to start the year 2016.