What a weekend! The Prince George Cougars took all four points that were up for grabs during a Friday-Saturday home double header with Kamloops. A day removed from a 9-4 victory Friday the Cougars wrapped up their weekend with a 6-1 victory Saturday over Kamloops. Jansen Harkins, Jared Bethune and Brad Morrison combined for seven points while goaltender Ty Edmonds made 28 saves on 29 shots faced to earn his 17^th victory of the season and his 65 career victory – More on that shortly. 

The Cougars led 2-0 after the first. Jansen Harkins opened the scoring just 3:09 into the first, and a minute and 18 seconds later Jesse Gabrielle buried his team high 29^th past Kamloops netminder Dylan Ferguson to stake the Cougars to an early 2-0 advantage. Full credit to the Blazers who responded well outshooting the Cougars 11-9, but Ty Edmonds was razor sharp making some clutch saves, the biggest of which came off of Collin Shirley who had a point blank chance shorthanded, but was denied.

Mid-way through the second period things got to a boiling point when two separate fights broke out. First it was Joel Lakusta who dropped the gloves with Quinn Benjafield and while the officials tried to break that one up, Cougars forward Kolby Johnson squared off with Kamloops rookie defenceman Nolan Kneen. Kneen and Johnson were ejected from the game but it was the Cougars who answered with more offensive momentum.

Jared Bethune increased the Cougars lead to 3-0 when he ripped home his 14^th of the season past Ferguson at 12:11, and then on their next shift Morrison, Harkins and Bethune combined for another one when Morrison notched his 20^th which came at 14:27. Through two periods the shots were 20-18 for Prince George and the score was 4-0.

Jansen Harkins scored his fourth of the weekend and 15^th of the season just 2:25 into the third to increase the Cougars advantage to 5-0. Back came the Blazers though when rookie defenceman Connor McDonald scored his first ever WHL goal to break up the shutout that Edmonds had going, but that’s as close as the Blazers would come.

Brogan O’Brien grabbed the final goal of the game on a power play at 10:40 of the third to make the game 6-1, which is how the game would end.

The final shots were 31-29 for Prince George who went one-for-six on the power play. Kamloops had seven power play chances and had no goals to show for it.

Ty Edmonds: Brilliant. He made 28 saves on 29 shots faced to help guide the Cougars to their 29^th victory of the season. It was also  the 65^th victory of Edmonds’ career which now puts him second all-time for victories by a Cougars goaltender! He now only trails Scott Myers for first on the all-time list. Myers had 95 career victories for the Cougars.

With the win the Cougars are now 29-17-1-1 and are still a point back of second place in the B.C. Division. Next up, the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday night.