The Prince George Cougars longest road trip of the 2015-16 season is nearing its end, but there is still much to be decided out East. So far it’s been a ‘good’ road trip for the Cougars who have taken points in three of their four games out East and have compiled a record of 2-1-1-0 in that span. Tonight, the Cougars will look secure a plus-.500 road trip when they battle the Brandon Wheat Kings in Manitoba. The Wheat Kings are among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference, and the Cougars are going to have their hands full tonight against some of the top players the WHL has to offer.

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

Overview:

Kelly McCrimmon’s Brandon Wheat Kings are right where most people thought they’d be, atop the East Division. Their overall record of 32-15-2-2 puts them six points ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders for first in the East Division and just four points back of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the top record in the Eastern Conference. The Wheat Kings are 7-3-0-0 in their past 10 games and are coming off a 6-2 win Wednesday in Moose Jaw. The Wheat Kings have defeated the Cougars in each of their past two meetings.

Who’s Up Front:

The Brandon Wheat Kings have no shortage of skill, size and experience up front. Their 194 goals put them second overall in the WHL in total goals scored and they’ve come from a ton of different sources. Leading the way for Brandon is Reid Duke who’s got 26 goals, but he’s joined at the top by Jayce Hawryluk (23), Nolan Patrick (21) and don’t forget about Tim McGauley who has managed 16 goals in just 30 games played. That kind of depth means that it’s usually a different guy each game that’s doing the heavy lifting offensively for the Wheat Kings and the Cougars will need to be  aware of who they’re on the ice against at all times.

Who’s on D:

Is there a more well rounded defenceman in the WHL than Ivan Provorov? Not according to many in this part of the country. The Philadelphia Flyers’ first round pick has followed up a magnificent first WHL season with an equally effective sophomore campaign. In 41 games, Provorov has 11 goals and 33 assists for 44 points, and his plus-minus rating of +36 is the best in the entire league. He skates, he shoots, he defends, he does everything. Odds are Ivan Provorov is going to log some major minutes in all situations tonight for Brandon.

Who’s in Goal:

19-year-old Jordan Papirny has once again put together a strong season for the Wheat Kings. In 39 games this season, Papirny has put forth a record of 21-14-2-2 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.59 goals-against-average. He’s also earned five shutouts. His career numbers are excellent having gone 88-39-10-7 in 147 career games all with Brandon. His backup is Logan Thompson who’s put together a strong record of 11-1-0-0  in 16 games this season.

X-Factor:

In just his second full season in the WHL, Wheat Kings forward Nolan Patrick is considered by many to be among the top available NHL Draft Prospects in 2017. The reigning WHL rookie of the year leads the Wheat Kings in scoring with 58 points in 51 games. For his young career of 109 games, Patrick has earned 115 points. Not bad for a player who’s only 17. At 6’3” and 195 pounds Patrick plays the game with strong vision and remarkable consistency. Keeping Patrick neutralized is going to be a major key tonight for the Prince George Cougars.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

Overview:

Mark Holick’s Prince George Cougars are coming into tonight’s game with an overall record of 31-19-2-1. Their 65 points have them ranked third in the B.C. Division and the Western Conference four points behind Victoria for second place. In their past 10 games the Cougars are 5-4-1-0 and on this current road trip they are 2-1-1-0. This is currently day 10 of 12 for the Cougars on the road, and a victory tonight would give them 15 on the road, impressive considering the amount of travel that this team has had to deal with all season.

Who’s Up Front:

Chase Witala woke up this morning as the all-time franchise leader in goals. That’s because he scored in the third period on Wednesdsay in Prince Albert giving him the 112^th goal of his career, which helped him pass Eric Hunter for the all-time lead. For the season, Witala now has 32 goals and is tied for the lead in team with scoring with 58 points. With 19 games still to go, Witala definitely has the chance to break one more major Cougars record: The all-time scoring lead. Witala comes into tonight with 218 career points, and needs 19 in his final 19 games to pass his good buddy Troy Bourke for the all-time franchise lead. With the way Witala has been going lately, it’s a more than realistic possibility that the Prince George Cougars could have a new all-time leading scorer by seasons end.

Who’s on D:

Success tonight in Brandon needs to start with a commitment to structure and team defense. The Cougars goal differential is still an impressive +34, but a number of big factors come into play tonight in Brandon. Managing fatigue and stress will be the first big key. Secondly the Cougars can’t get forced into a run-and-gun type of game. Instead they’ll need to protect the front of their net, make clean passes and match up with the Brandon Wheat Kings physically. Much of the onus again tonight will be put onto the shoulders of the veterans like Sam Ruopp, Joe Carvalho and Tate Olson to lead the charge. The Cougars have shown throughout the season that they are capable of shutting down high scoring teams (Lethbridge, Kelowna, Victoria, etc.), and hopefully tonight can be another one of those nights where the Cougars are locked in defensively.

Who’s In Goal:

If there was ever a game where the Prince George Cougars needed a gem from Ty Edmonds, it would be tonight. Edmonds, who’s 19 and from nearby Winnipeg may not ever get the chance to play a junior hockey game here again. Plus with it being the Cougars third game in four nights with more travel looming afterwards tonight, Edmonds could do everyone a major service by rocking his performance in front of his friends and family in Manitoba. Despite some struggles in January, Edmonds still finished the month 6-5-1-0, and his numbers for the season remain strong with a 17-11-2-0 with three shutouts, a 2.69 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage. Tonight in Manitoba marks a terrific opportunity for Edmonds to seize the moment and put forth a memorable performance in his home province.

X-Factor:

Cougars forward Jesse Gabrielle played the better part of two seasons as a member of the Brandon Wheat Kings before a brief stop in Regina, and ultimately arriving to the Prince George Cougars in a summer trade. Since joining the Cougars, Gabrielle has been marvelous scoring 32 goals and adding 26 assists which place him tied for the top spot on the team in both goals and points (with Chase Witala). Gabrielle is a fiery competitor and his style of play is suited perfectly for the Prince George Cougars. It’s been a great fit, and the Cougars couldn’t be happier to have him in the fold. Tonight Gabrielle will be a man on a mission, as you can bet that he’ll want to put his very best foot forward against his former teammates tonight. At this time of year you can motivation anywhere you can find it, and a big game from Gabrielle against his former club would provide a massive boost for the Cougars as they look to go above .500 for the trip with a win tonight, and the Regina Pats looming tomorrow.