Cougars End Trip With 4-3 Win In Red Deer

By 250 News

The Prince George Cougars got just what they needed for a long bus ride home; a win.  Cougars Captain Brett Connolly tied the game late and then won the Cougars contest in Red Deer in overtime in a 4-3 Cougars victory.

The Cougars were finishing a five game in six nights road trip in Alberta and their first three games in three nights series of the season, facing off with a Rebel team sitting second in the Eastern Conference.  Sunday's tilt was the first of two this season between the Cougars and Rebels, who will meet again March 8 in Prince George.  The Rebels opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game when John Persson finished off a pass in front of the Cougars goal.  But the Cougars Troy Bourke responded at 9:38, picking the pocket of Andrej Kudrna near the Rebels blue line, then walked in and snapped a high wrist shot over the blocker side of Rebels goalie Dawson Guhle to tie the game at one.  The goal is Bourke's 15th of the season.  Taylor Stefishen would put the Cougars in front with two and a half minutes left in the first, muscling his way from the end boards before beating Guhle to the glove side for Stefishen's 19th goal of the season and a 2-1 Cougars lead.  Charles Inglis and Sena Acolatse picked up assists on the goal.  The Cougars were out-shot 12-11, with Ty Rimmer playing solid in the first period.

Rimmer continued his stellar play, blocking all 14 shots he faced in the second period.  Guhle had a lighter work load and controlled each of the six shots he faced in the middle stanza.

In the third the Rebels tied the game five minutes in when Chad Robinson picked up a rebound and beat Rimmer on the glove side for a 2-2 tie.  Persson picked up his second goal of the game at 12:29 to put the Rebels back in front 3-2.  But Connolly, who was in danger of seeing his seven game point streak end, extended the streak and kept the Cougars hopes alive with an end-to-end rush that was finished off by beating Guhle on the blocker side for Connolly's 34th goal of the season.  Connolly also extended his goal streak to five with the tally at 18:02, knotting the game at three.  Brock Hirsche picked up the lone assist and the game was bound for overtime.  The Rebels out-shot the Cougars 14-4 in the third and 40-21 in regulation.

Early in overtime, Kudrna took a slashing penalty and the Cougars got a chance to operate on a 4-on-3 power play to win the game.  Connolly worked into the zone down the right side and left a pass for Acolatse in the right face-off circle.  Connolly swung around the goal and took a return pass from Acolatse on the left wing side and quickly snapped home his second of the game and 35th goal of the season, giving the Cougars a 4-3 overtime win and their second victory of their five game Alberta trip.  The goal came at 2:33 and was Connolly's second game winner of the week and fourth of the season, tying him with Bourke for the team lead in game winning goals.  The Cougars penalty killers were perfect on the trip, going 2-for-2 in Red Deer and 29-for-29 on the Alberta trip.  The Cougars have not allowed a power play goal in seven straight games.

The Cougars, who are 28-26-2-1, come home to open a four game home stand with the Everett Silvertips Friday at CN Centre, starting at 7:00pm.  Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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