That's not how the Prince George Cougars planned on starting their work week.
It certainly wasn't in the plan to give up seven goals to the last-place team in the Western Hockey League's U.S. Division, but that's exactly what happened Wednesday night in Spokane.
The Spokane Chiefs exposed their opponents' defensive weaknesses and thumped the visitors 7-3, providing a rude welcome as the Cats kicked off a four-game roadtrip.
The Chiefs led 3-1 after one period, 4-2 after two.
The Cougars fell behind 5-2 in the third period on a rebound shot from Levko Koper and dug themselves a deeper hole a few minutes later when James Dobrowolski was assessed a double-minor penalty for high-sticking. Nick Buonassisi gave the visitors some hope with a shorthanded goal at 12:17, but 24 seconds later Corbin Baldwin pounded in a point shot with Dobrowolski still in the penalty box. Kenton Miller provided the exclamation point, capping the scoring late in the third period.
Tyler Johnson, on the power play, and Brenden Kichton, while shorthanded, gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead before the game was six minutes old. Brett Connolly extended his point streak to 14 games to get the Cougars on the scoreboard. He connected for his 14th goal of the season on the power play 11:35 into the first period, after Charles Inglis was denied on the initial shot. Anthony Bardaro made it 3-1 late in the first period, punishing the Cougars for giving up a 3-on-1 chance.
Cougars forward Brock Hirsche set up Inglis for his eighth of the season to make it a one-goal game early in the second period. The Chiefs went on a power play late in the period and Cody Carlson had just stepped back onto the ice after serving a cross-checking penalty when Tyler Vanscourt found the Prince George net behind James Priestner. The goal came with just two-tenths of a second left in the second period and it was a backbreaker for the Cougars.
Shots were 41-32 in favour of the Chiefs.
"We just weren't ready to go, the first period is what undid us tonight," said Cougars head coach Dean Clark. "You're not going to win many games when you give up 41 shots, unless your goalie stands on his head."
The loss, combined with the Vancouver Giants' 5-2 win Wednesday in Lethbridge, left the Cougars (7-6-1-0) trailing the first-place Giants by five points. The Chilliwack Bruins defeated the Oil Kings 2-1 in Edmonton to move to within a point of the Cats, who are tied with Kamloops for second place. Spokane remained fifth in the U.S. Division, improving to 5-6-0-0.
The four-game roadtrip resumes Friday in Kent, Wash., where the Cougars take on the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Cats also visit the Tri-City Americans on Friday and play the Rockets in Kelowna next Tuesday night.
KITTY LITTER: The Cougars were without F Taylor Makin (broken collarbone) and F Jaroslav Vlach (broken thumb)... Former Cougar captain Dana Tyrell scored his first NHL goal to help the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night in Tampa. Tyrell's wrist shot, 2:51 into the game, beat Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. It was Tyrell's first point in seven games with the Lightning this season.
