After their 9-2 win over the Blazers Friday in Kamloops and some help from the Tri-City Americans, the Prince George Cougars are on the verge of capturing their first WHL Western Conference flag.
Ondrej Becher collected his second hat trick of the season to spice up the Cougar offence, Borya Valis fired a pair and singles went to Carlin Dezainde, Aiden Foster, Oren Shtrom, and Jett Lajoie. Becher also drew an assist to cap a four-point evening which extended his point streak to 18 games, while Valis picked up three points. The rookie, Lajoie, also had an assist to run his point streak to four games.
Ty Young made 34 saves for his 22nd win in 37 appearances this season. The Cougars outshot the Blazers 43-36. Logan Edmondstone was yanked 1:55 into the second period after he allowed Becher’s second goal that made it 6-0, the 23rd shot the Blazers’ rookie goalie faced. Jesse Sanche gave up three more goals in the second period but blanked all Cougar shooters in the third, stopping 17 of 20 shots in relief of Edmondstone.
Blazers forward Jordan Keller broke up Young’s shutout bid, 3:35 into the second period, and Emmit Finnie capped the scoring for Kamloops in the third.
Meanwhile, in Kennewick, Wash., the Americans did the Cougars a huge favour, knocking off the Portland Winterhawks 4-3 in overtime, despite being outshot 52-14.
The Cougars (48-15-1-3) are on a 16-0-1-1 roll and are now three points ahead of second-place Portland (46-15-4-1) atop the Western Conference. The Cougars can wrap up the title with a win over the Blazers in Saturday’s rematch at CN Centre.
The Winterhawks have a home-and-home series left to play with the Seattle Thunderbirds Saturday and Sunday and could still leapfrog Prince George if the Cougars don’t win their final regular season game.
Saturday’s game (6 p.m. start) on Retro Night is sold out and with 6,000 people in the stands at CN Centre it’s going to be a festive atmosphere. There’s a guaranteed $50,000 jackpot for the Mega 50-50 draw and that will likely triple before the end of the night, with proceeds going to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Saskatoon Blades beat the Prince Albert Raiders 5-1 Friday to wrap up their fifth Scotty Munro Trophy as regular season champions... Jordan Gavin notched the winner for Tri-City, 2:23 into overtime. Cougars left winger Zac Funk was held to just one point, an assist on Valis’s first of the game near the end of the first period. That allowed Funk (with 67 goals, 54 assists) to move back into a tie with Moose Jaw Warrior Jagger Firkus atop the scoring race, each with 121 points…. Cougars right winger Koehn Ziemmer was held off the scoresheet in his return to action after missing 41 games with an ankle injury… Fifteen-year-old Prince George defenceman Carson Carels played his sixth WHL game paired on the blueline with Keaton Dowhaniuk. Carels, a native of Cypress River, Man., and drew the primary assist on Foster’s goal 15:09 into the game that made it a 2-0 count. Drafted 15th overall by Prince George in 2023, now that his Pilot Mound Academy U-17 Prep team is done for the season Carels can stay with the Cougars for the duration of their playoff run… The game was the last in front of their home crowd for Blazers 20-year-olds Logn Bairos, Ashton Ferster and Blake Swetlikoff.
