Cougars Open 2010 With 6-4 Win Over Kamloops

By 250 News

The Prince George Cougars ended 2009 with a win and have started 2010 with a win.  After a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday, the Cougars picked up back-to-back wins for the first time this season, getting by the Kamloops Blazers 6-4 Saturday night at CN Centre.

Both teams were coming off victories, with the Blazers a 4-1 winner in Kelowna, also on Wednesday night.  The Cougars and Blazers have had ample opportunity to get their rivalry stirred up in the last month, with Saturday's tilt being the fifth meeting between the two clubs since December 5, with another taking place Sunday afternoon.  Alex Wright started in goal for the Cougars, looking to bounce back from a loss in Chilliwack Tuesday night.  Wright would get a lead to work with early in the contest.  Spencer Asuchak would pounce on a loose puck fed infront of the Kamloops goal by Parker Stanfield and while Asuchak didn't exactly blast it home, it had enough gas to get between the legs of Blazers starter Kurtis Mucha.  Auchak's sixth goal of the season came at 1:54, with Dallas Jackson drawing another assist along with Stanfield.  But the Cougars 1-0 lead lasted less than a minute, when Jordan DePape notched a power play goal at 2:36 on a pretty passing play.  The Cougars took the lead back at 5:14, when Nick Buonassisi and James Dobrowolski got together deep in the Blazers end to set up Alex Rodgers in the slot, who fired a quick shot off the right leg of Mucha to the back of the goal.  That line combined for seven points on three goals against the Giants Wednesday in the third period.  Rodgers earned his ninth goal of the season for a 2-1 Cougars lead.  The Blazers tied the game at two with more quick passing in tight, finished off by Tyler Shattock at 8:04, but Brock Hirsche, the fans choice for Cougars Player of the Month in December, would fight his way down the left wing and from a steep angle, wired a wrist shot over Mucha for his ninth goal of the season and a 3-2 Cougars lead at 12:38.  Asuchak and Jackson would get helpers on the goal and the Cougars took that 3-2 lead into the dressing room, with a 13-8 advantage in shots.

Another early goal in the second period for the Cougars gave the home side a 4-2 lead.  Once again, Hirsche would break down the left wing and from an even steeper angle, he fooled Jon Groenheyde with a wrist shot for his 10th goal of the season.  Hirsche ended Mucha's night on his first goal of the game.  Rodgers and Jackson would notch assists on the goal.  But the Blazers would have an answer at 12:11 on the power play.  Defenceman Linden Saip raced in from the left blue line and finished off a perfect pass from Dalibor Bortnak to cut the lead to 4-3, which is how it stayed through 40 minutes.  The Blazers, who did not have a shot in the second period in the first eight and a half minutes, ended up out-shooting the Cougars in the period 13-11.

Four minutes into the third period, the Cougars would get a two goal lead back when Rodgers converted his second goal of the game.  With sustained pressure in the Blazers end, Rodgers took a pass from Jackson on the right wing and fired a shot through a Blazers defender that hand-cuffed Groenheyde and beat him inside the blocker hand.  For Rodgers, that would give him a three point night and Jackson a four assist game, bringing a loud end to a three game streak without a point.  Dobrowolski also got his second assist in the game.  Prince George product Dylan Willick would get the Blazers back to within a goal, beating Wright up high at 14:34 to cut the Cougars lead to 5-4.  But the Cats would survive a late Blazers power play and after great work by Asuchak and Clarke Breitkreuz to hold the puck in the Kamloops end in the final minute, Parker Stanfield would swipe home his sixth goal of the season into an empty net to make the final 6-4.  for Breitkreuz, who joined the Cougars after the Christmas break, an assist on the Stanfield goal was his first point as a Cougar and Asuchak had his first career three point game, getting his second assist to go along with the game's first goal.  The Cougars were out-shot 18-10 by the Blazers in the third and 39-34 in the game.  Even though four goals were allowed by Wright, the Prince George product came up with a number of big saves from in close to the keep the Cougars in front.  The Blazers had a big advantage in power plays in the game, going 2-for-6, while the Cougars only had one chance and did not score with it.  The Cougars record, though, improves to 9-28-1-1 while the Blazers, who hold the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, are 16-19-2-3, 17 points ahead of the Cougars.  After dropping the first three meetings, the Cougars have now won two of the last three with the Blazers, both on home ice.

The second game of the double header is Sunday and is the Cougars CKPG Family Day game, with family packages available, a kids zone, face-painting and Two Rivers Gallery Creation Station.  The Canadian Cancer Society will be on hand with an interactive booth with games and prizes.  After the game, fans will have a chance to skate with the Cougars, with Eurest and CN Centre providing free popcorn and hot chocolate.  Puck drop is 2:30 and tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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