Howse Scores Three, Bruins Win 5-2 Over Cougars

Wednesday, January 06, 2010 10:47 PM

After losing seven of eight games to the Prince George Cougars during the 2008-09 season and two of the first three meetings of the current campaign, the Chilliwack Bruins are starting to return the favour. To make matters worse, it's a couple of Prince George kids doing the damage. Ryan Howse recorded a hat-trick and Brandon Manning added another goal in a 5-2 Bruins victory over the Cougars Wednesday night.

The Cougars came into the contest looking for back-to-back road wins, after their big 4-1 victory December 30 against the Vancouver Giants. The Cougars were also getting a boost with the returns of a couple of players from international tournaments. Marek Viedensky was playing his first game for the Cougars since December 12, after suiting up for Slovakia at the World Junior Hockey Championship. 16-year old defenceman Jesse Forsberg also got back into the fold, after playing for Team West at the World Under-17 Challenge in Timmins, Ontario. Wednesday was the sixth meeting of the season between the Cougars and Bruins, with Chilliwack taking the last two contests, both in Chilliwack. Wednesday's match-up was the ninth straight game for the Cougars against a BC Division opponent. Alex Wright made his third straight start for the Cougars and is being leaned on right now, after Hudson Stremmel took a puck in the head during Saturday night's game warm-up, which has left the 18-year old with concussion symptoms.

The Bruins needed only 33 seconds to strike first, when Howse scored his WHL leading 31st goal of the season on Wright. But the Cougars would come back later in the first from an unlikely source. Taylor Orser, playing in his 19th game for the Cougars, scored his first Western Hockey League goal and point at 8:19 to draw the visitors even. Spencer Asuchak, with five points in the last five games, and Greg Fraser drew helpers on the equalizer. But Manning would get the Bruins in front again with his ninth goal of the season at 16:05 for a 2-1 Bruins lead through 20 minutes. The shots were 10-7 for Chilliwack.

Neither team scored in the second period, one which saw the Bruins out-shoot Prince George 8-5. In the third, Howse would keep on scoring, registering goals 32 and 33 just 2:45 apart before the third period was six minutes old. The Cougars leading scorer, Dallas Jackson, would cut the Bruins lead in half to 4-2 with his 11th goal of the season, coming on the power play at 11:21. Parker Stanfield and Alex Rodgers would get assists. For Rodgers, that extends his point streak to four games, with three goals and four assists over that span. But the Bruins would put it away 2:33 later, when Jamie Crooks notched his 11th goal of the year for a 5-2 Bruins victory. The Bruins had a 13-7 advantage in shots in the third period for a game total of 31-19 in Chilliwack's favour. The Cougars penalty killing went 4-for-5, while the Cats power play was 1-for-9. The Bruins move over .500 with a record of 19-18-1-5, the Cougars fall to 9-30-1-1.

The Cougars will keep heading South for games against opponents not in the BC Division for the first time since December 11. The Cougars will meet the Tri-City Americans Friday followed by a date with the Thunderbirds in Seattle Saturday night. The Cougars next home game will be Wednesday, January 13 against the Red Deer Rebels. That contest will be the first of seven in a row at home for the Cougars, with puck drop at 7:00pm. Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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