The heat is on this weekend at CN Centre as the Prince George Cougars know the situation.
After consecutive wins Tuesday in Kamloops and Wednesday in Kelowna, the Victoria Royals have climbed back into first place in the BC Division, with a chance to clinch it on Friday at 7 p.m. when they visit the Cougars.
Now two points ahead of Prince George, the Royals (39-17-3-7) need just one more point to secure the division banner.
That makes Friday’s game a must-win for the Cougars (40-20-4-2), and they need two wins this weekend (regulation, overtime or shootout) to prevent Victoria from clinching the division and securing the WHL Western Conference second-seed playoff position.
“The first game is really important; it’s a playoff game and we’re looking forward to it – we’ve got to get two points,” said Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb.
The Royals will be playing their third game in four days, all on the road, and might show signs of fatigue on Friday. But Lamb, aware of the Royals' busy schedule, doesn't see that as an advantage for his well-rested team.
“I don’t put any stock in that right now,” Lamb said. “It’s a huge game for both teams, a playoff-type game, and it’s very exciting for both teams moving into the playoffs because it’s very comparable. That’s the type of game you have to play.”
Head-to-head this season, the Cougars and Royals are even. Each team has two regulation wins and one shootout win in the six games so far. The teams last met Feb. 21-22 in Victoria, where the Royals won 5-3 and 6-3.
Both teams are among the hottest in the WHL. The Cougars have won nine of their last 10 games, while the Royals are 7-2-0-1 in their last 10-game stretch.
“It’s two really good teams and there’s not a lot of wiggle room between them; they’re pretty comparable in a lot of different areas,” said Lamb. “This is shaping up to be a schedule-maker’s dream. They want second place, and we want second place. It’s going to be a very competitive game.
“We’ve been playing well as a team. We have four lines going, and we’ve done a lot of good things, but we can’t stray from that. Now, it’s a pressure-packed game. Even though the last few games have been no different, for us to be in this situation, we had to play well.”
The playoffs begin Friday, March 28. Regardless of whether they finish second or fourth in the Western Conference, the Cougars will be at home for the first two games against an opponent yet to be determined.
Cole Reschny, a projected first-round pick in this year’s NHL draft, led the Royals with two goals and an assist Wednesday in their 5-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets. Reggie Neumann potted the winner with less than three minutes left, and Kenta Isogai found the empty net late for his 32nd goal.
On Tuesday, the Royals eliminated the Kamloops Blazers from playoff contention with a 5-3 win.
“They’ve got some real high-scoring guys on their team,” said Lamb. “Reschny, Isogai, (Brandon) Lisowsky, (Teydon) Trembecky – these guys are all high-end players. But their balance and their defence are the strengths of their team, and they have two really good goalies (Johnny Hicks and Jayden Kraus).”
Both teams are pretty much healthy heading into the weekend series.
The Cougars are still waiting for winger Terik Parascak to clear concussion protocol. He was injured March 8 in Everett and has missed three games.
The Royals could be without forward Daniel Morozov, who is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The Cougars have called up 2008-born defenceman Dermot Johnston, 2008-born forward Townes Kozicky and 2009-born forward Dade Wotherspoon for the rest of the season.
This is retro weekend at CN Centre, and the Cougars will be wearing throwback jerseys for both games.
Friday is Riley Heidt Bobblehead Night, and all season subscribers and the first 500 kids under 18 through the gate will receive their miniature replicas of the Cougars captain, sponsored by Indigenous Police Services.
On Saturday, fans will have a chance to win a jersey giveaway, and there’s a Mega 50-50 draw with a guaranteed $50,000 jackpot.
Playoff tickets are now on sale at the CN Centre Tickets North box office.
