Home ice has been anything but kind to the Prince George Cougars.
Then again, for a team that’s now lost 14 of its last 16 games, none of the rinks on their Western Hockey League itinerary the past couple months have been idyllic settings for happy endings.
And it won’t be getting any more pleasant for the Cougars in their post-game cool-downs below the CN Centre stands if they keep taking penalties like they did Friday night.
They played with fire against the Spokane Chiefs, sent to the sinbin seven times and on three occasions, and the Chiefs took full advantage. Their three power-play goals pushed the visitors to a 4-3 victory – the eighth straight loss at home for the slumping Cats.
Graham Sward’s power-play goal 37 seconds into the third period, a low wrister from the point, was the game-winner and it came with Prince George winger Caden Brown in the box for high-sticking.
“You can’t play like that, you just shoot yourself in the foot,” said Cougar captain Jonny Hooker. “We’re in tight games right now playing these teams and that’s the difference.”
The Cats came on in the last 10 minutes of the game but were unable to generate much in the way of quality chances on goalie Mason Beaupit. Their best of the period came nine minutes in, when Ryker Singer fed a bullet pass up the right wing to a streaking Craig Armstrong. Armstrong got a great shot away but it nailed the goalpost.
After taking minor six penalties through 40 minutes and having already allowed two power play goals you’d think the Cougars would have gotten the message to stay out of the box, but apparently not. Four minutes after Sward’s goal, Cougars defenceman Bauer Dumanski got careless with his stick and whacked Carter Streek in the face with his blade with nobody but the referee in their immediate vicinity. The Cougars managed to kill it off, but it was a troublesome two minutes for the Cougars and their fans in the crowd of 1,628.
Those fans haven’t celebrated a win at home since Jan. 18, when the Cougars beat Victoria 5-3.
As bad as the penalties were, it could have been worse, if not for Tyler Brennan. He’d already made a couple of standup saves on partial breakaways to start the second period when he won a big showdown with Spokane centre Cade Hayes on a penalty shot with 4:40 gone in the period. Hayes tried to fake Brennan with a move to his glove side but the 18-year-old from Winnipeg kept on his feet as he shot across the crease to block the shot.
The Cougars used that save to inspire a two-goal outburst that gave them a 3-1 lead. Defenceman Ethan Samson was allowed to cruise in from the point uncovered and he ripped a shot in behind Beaupit.
Less than two minutes later, on a Cougar power play, Hudson Thornton’s low shot was tipped in by Koehn Ziemmer for his team-leading 21st goal. Riley Heidt drew the second assist for his 43rd point, just one behind Ziemmer atop the Cougars’ scoring list.
The Chiefs took advantage of a 3-on-2 break to get within a goal. Ty Cheveldayoff was set up perfectly in front of the Cougars’ net by linemate Jake Gudlej.
The Cougars’ penalty kill then got burned for the second time in the game with 47 seconds left in the second. Former Kamloops Blazer Nick McCarry was left alone beside the Cougar goal and Chiefs captain Bear Hughes fed him a perfect pass from the corner for a one-timer that knotted the score 3-3.
Hughes finished the game with three assists.
The teams traded goals in the first period. Spokane struck first on a power play at the 4:20 mark. Graham Sward’s point shot bounced off Brennan’s chest, right to Chase Bertholet, who filed away a high shot for his 20th goal of the season with Ethan Samson off for roughing. The Cougars tied it late when Hooker wired in a hard slapper from just inside the blueline.
With their win, the Chiefs (16-31-4-1) moved to withing four points of the seventh-place Cougars (19-29-2-1) in the Western Conference standings.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Cougars were without defenceman Viliam Kmec, who suffered a lower-body injury in practice this week, and winger Blake Eastman, who is still at least two weeks away from returning from a knee injury… Spokane was without the services of defenseman winger Erik Atchison (upper body) and centre Jake Cicek (Upper body)… The same teams meet again Saturday at CN Centre. Puck drop time is 7 p.m… The Cats’ eight-game homestand wraps up next weekend with a doubleheader against the Victoria Royals. So far, through five games, the Cats haven’t registered a point.
Saturday WHL summary
Chiefs 4 at Cougars 3
First Period
1. Spokane, Bertholet 20 (Swetlikoff, Sward) 4:20 (pp)
2. Prince George, Hooker 13 (Armstong) 16:35
Penalties – Samson PG (roughing) 3:02, Thornton PG (interference) 7:04.
Second Period
3. Prince George, Samson 11 (Hooker, Thornton) 8:45.
4. Prince George Ziemmer 21 (Thornton, Heidt) 10:42 (pp)
5. Spokane, Cheveldayoff 4 (Hughes, Weinstein) 11:42
6. Spokane, McCarry 13 (Hughes, Swetlikoff) 19:13 (pp)
Penalties – Heidt PG (cross-checking) 5:26, Hayes Spo (roughing), Bowie PG (roughing) 8:29, Kovgoreniya Spo (hooking) 10:42, Brondberg PG (holding) 12:10, Kovgoreniya Spo (tripping) 15:37, Samson PG (delay of game) 18:49, Brown PG (high-sticking) 19:48.
Third Period
7. Spokane, Sward 8, 0:37
Penalties – Dumanski PG (high-sticking) 4:45, Weinstein Spo (tripping) 16:47.
Shots on goal by
Spokane 11 13 8 -32
Prince George 10 9 10 -29
Goal – Spokane, Beaupit (W,12-17-3-1); Prince George, Brennan (L,10-20-1-1)
Power plays – Spo: 3-7; PG: 1-2.
Referees – Bobby Jo Love, Nick Panter; Linemen – Caden Fanshaw, Anthony Maletta.
Attendance – 1,682.
