Cougars Host Bruins For Final Two Games of 2010

By 250 News

The streaking Prince George Cougars come out of the Christmas break Tuesday with a date against the Chilliwack Bruins, which opens a mid-week double-header for the BC Division rivals at CN Centre.

The Cougars have won three in a row and come into the contest sitting first in the BC Division, with an 18-14-2-1 mark.  The Cougars are also mid-way through a long stretch of games at home, with Tuesday being the fourth of eight straight at CN Centre.  So far, so good on the home stand, with wins over Swift Current on December 14 and then back-to-back victories over the Kamloops Blazers prior to the Christmas break on December 17 and 18.  These two games with Chilliwack are the final games of the 2010 calendar year for the Cougars.  The Bruins, meantime, are sitting fourth in the BC Division with a 16-14-2-1 mark for 35 points.

Tonight is just the second of eight get-togethers between the Cougars and Bruins, with the Cougars getting the upper-hand in their first encounter in Chilliwack, scoring a 4-0 victory.  James Priestner made 28 saves for his first shut-out of the year and fifth of his WHL career on November 24 in Chilliwack.

Both teams are missing four players from the roster to international competitions.  Brett Connolly is suiting up for Team Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, New York and defenceman Martin Marincin is also out of the Cougars line-up, playing for Slovakia in Buffalo.  The Cougars are also without Troy Bourke and Josh Smith, who are attending the World Under-17 Challenge in Winnipeg and Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, which starts Wednesday.  The Bruins are missing Robin Soudek and Roman Horak to the World Juniors, both playing for the Czech Republic.  Brandon Magee and Steven Hodges are teammates of Bourke and Smith for Team Pacific at the World Under 17's.

The Cougars have also called up 16-year old defenceman Linden Springer of Lloydminster, Alberta, with Sena Acolatse serving a two game suspension for a match penalty at the end of the December 18 game against Kamloops.  Springer is playing this season for the Lloydminster Bobcats of the Alberta Major Midget Hockey League.

Puck drop is 7:00pm at CN Centre.  Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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