For the second time in 24 hours the Prince George Cougars are taking to the ice.

Today they find themselves in Portland ready to tackle the Portland Winterhawks for the first time this season. Last night the Cougars put forth a strong effort,  but fell short by a 3-0 score against the Everett Silvertips. Time and time again already this season Richard Matvichuk’s crew has responded well when faced with tough travel and adversity, and here’s hoping today is no exception.

PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS

OVERVIEW:

Record: 12-12-1-0

Home Record: 6-7-1-0

Goals For/Goals Against: 97 GF/87 GA

Power Play: 23.7% (7th in WHL)

Penalty Kill: 80.2% (10th in WHL)

Leading Scorers: Cody Glass (25GP – 12G – 24A – 36 PTS), Skyler McKenzie (25GP – 15G – 16A – 31PTS), Keegan Iverson (23GP – 10G – 20A – 30PTS)

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Cody Glass: The 17-year-old is sixth in league scoring heading into today’s game. With 12 goals and 24 assists, Glass has established himself as one of the premiere draft eligible players in the 1999 draft class.

WHO’S ON D:

Caleb Jones: The Edmonton Oilers prospect is one of the most dynamic offensive defencemen in the WHL. With three goals and 17 assists for 20 points. The younger brother of Blue Jackets d-man Seth Jones is un his second full season now in the WHL and is especially dangerous when his team is on the power play.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

Cole Kehler: The former Kamloops Blazer has put together a strong campaign so far with the Winterhawks. He’s 10-7-0-0 with a 2.85 goals-against-average and a .912 save percentage. So far he’s played a bulk of the games as he’s drawn into 19 of Portland’s 25 games. His backup is fellow 19-year-old Michael Bullion.

X-FACTOR:

Keegan Iverson: The lone Portland 20-year-old is hard to miss out there. At 6’2 and 220 pounds, Iverson uses his size and his smarts to his advantage. So far this season he’s got 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points and is a +10. He alongside Cody Glass and Skyler McKenzie should see a ton of icetime tonight in all situations for Portland.

PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS

OVERVIEW:

Record: 18-5-2-0

Road Record: 10-2-1-0

Goals For/Goals Against: 90 GF/63 GA

Power Play: 20.0% (12th in WHL)

Penalty Kill: 86.5% (1st in WHL)

Leading Scorers: Brad Morrison (24GP – 9G – 16A – 25PTS), Jansen Harkins (5G – 18A – 23PTS), Jesse Gabrielle (19GP – 12G – 9A – 21PTS)

WHO’S UP FRONT:

Jesse Gabrielle: Had three goals and three assists for six points in four meetings with Portland a season ago. Gabrielle leads all Cougars with 12 goals and sits third on the team in scoring. He had some good looks at the net last night in Everett and it just feels like any game now Gabrielle is ready to break out with multiple goals.

WHO’S ON D:

Shane Collins: Continues to be a steady two-way player for the Cougars and has played a majority of his minutes this week alongside new addition Brendan Guhle. Collins so far has right in alongside his new ‘D’ partner and should get a bulk of the work against Portland’s top forwards tonight.

WHO’S IN GOAL:

Nick McBride: With the Cougars suiting up for their second game in less than 24 hours, Nick McBride is going to get his first start since November 10th in Vancouver. McBride has had an up-and-down season to this point, but he has shown historically that he can be trusted to win big games for this team. Last season in fact McBride backstopped the Cougars to a dramatic 3-2 shootout victory against the Winterhawks. He’ll certainly be one of the key focal points today for the Cougars.

X-FACTOR:

Energy/Discipline: The biggest key for the Cougars today will be to manage their energy and discipline. Fatigue is not an excuse. It’s easy to look at the travel schedule and find excuses for a poor showing, but not on Richard Matvichuk’s watch. If the Cougars can stay structured and disciplined against this fiery Portland Winterhawks attack, they’re going to put themselves into a great position to win.