Wednesday night at the CN Centre the Medicine Hat Tigers earned a 6-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. 20-year-old Steven Owre led the charge offensively for the visitors with a goal and three assists while Zach Fischer chipped in with two goals. At the other side, Jared Bethune paced the Cougars attack with a goal and two assists in just the third regulation Cougars loss of the season.

Early in the opening period the Cougars took the lead when Jared Bethune raced in on a shorthanded breakaway and snuck a backhand shot past the left pad of Nick Schneider and in for his sixth and the team’s second shorthanded goal of the season. It would be the first and only lead of the night for the Cougars.

Back came the Tigers Max Gerlach snuck a wrist shot past the glove of Cougars starter Ty Edmonds at 12:25 to tie the score. Then in the final minute of the period the Tigers struck shorthanded when Steven Owre skated down the right wing side and slid a low shot past Edmonds to put the Tigers ahead 2-1. Owre’s goal was the Tigers sixth shorthanded goal of the season. Through one period the shots were 13-8 for the Tigers.

Prince George came out firing in the second as they dictated play for the first half. Nick Schneider made some clutch saves on the early moments, and his teammates would eventually reward him offensively with a power play goal at the 9:50 mark.

Zach Fischer finished off a nifty passing play in the slot for his ninth of the season which put the Tigers ahead 3-1. A late goal from Sam Ruopp put the Cougars back within one at 17:46, but the visitors were able to hold off a late surge from the Cougars and went into the tunnel ahead 3-2.

David Quenneville (9) and  Zach Fischer (10) struck 2:38 apart in the early moments of the third period to increased the Medicine Hat lead to 5-2.

But you can never count the Cougars out. Yan Khomenko moved the Cougars back within two when he out-waited everyone before firing home his sixth of the season at 13:18. Then Jesse Gabrielle scored on the power play to get the Cougars back within one with a full minute and 20 seconds still remaining in the game.

The Cougars comeback attempt ended though at 19:32 when John Dahlstrom slid a backhand shot into the empty net to secure the Tigers third victory in a row and their 11th victory on the season. The final shots were 40-37 for Prince George who finished one-for-two on the power play while the Tigers ended up two-for-three.

With the loss the Cougars record now sits at 13-3-2-0. They’ll look to get back into the win column when they wrap up their home stand Saturday with a FEATURE GAME against the Kamloops  Blazers.

NOTES:

• This was the Cougars first  regulation loss in eight games. Previously the Cougars lost in regulation at home on October 12th to Everett.
• The Cougars have now scored two shorthanded goals and have surrendered two shorthanded goals this season.
• Wednesday’s attendance was 2737.