The Vancouver Giants scored three unanswered second-period goals and hung on to defeat the visiting Prince George Cougars 4-3 Sunday afternoon in Langley.
Tyson Zimmer scored back-to-back goals 34 seconds apart late in the period to give the Giants a 4-2 lead, after Ryan Lin had tied the game 73 seconds into the second period with the first of his WHL career.
Ethan Mittelstaedt also connected for Vancouver, in the first period, as the Giants ended a six-game losing streak.
Borya Valis, with his 13th this season, Lee Shurgot and Riley Heidt, on a Cougar power play early in the third period, were the Prince George goalscorers.
Shurgot, a 17-year-old rookie from Saskatoon picked ninth overall by Prince George in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, extended his point streak to six games.
The Cougars, who ended a six-game homestand Friday with a 5-3 win over Kamloops, were hoping to take advantage of a team playing its third game in less than three days.
After getting outshot 14-5 in the second period, the Cougars came on strong in the third, and had a 12-5 shot advantage but goalie Carter Capton, making his first career WHL start after being called up from the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Camrose Kodiaks, stood tall in Giant net and was perfect after Heidt scored to make it close.
The Giants outshot Prince George 28-25 in the game.
The Cougars (13-6-3-2) remain first in the BC Division, seven points ahead of the third-place Giants (10-8-4-0) and three up on second-place Victoria.
Both teams were missing one of their top players for Sunday’s game.
Cougars goalie Josh Ravensbergen and Giants right winger Cameron Schmidt are in Ontario for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge and are slated to suit up for Canada for the two-game series against Team USA Tuesday in Sarnia and Wednesday in Oshawa.
The Cougars will travel this week to Red Deer to face the Rebels on Friday, then hit Edmonton for a Saturday date with the Oil Kings.
The Cats will be back at CN Centre Dec. 6 to take on the Regina Pats and will face the Kamloops Blazers Saturday, Dec. 7 on Teddy Bear Toss Night. Fans who buy tickets for both games will receive a Josh Ravensbergen bobblehead.
