If the WHL is looking for a save-of-the-week candidate the league might want to find the video clip of the showstopper Prince George Cougars goalie Josh Ravensbergen pulled off Tuesday against the Vancouver Giants with 49 seconds left in what was a one-goal game.
The shot came at point-blank range in the slot from Giants centre Jayden Lipinski. He cradled the puck that ticked off the skate of Cougars defenceman Villiam Kmec and fired it right back at Ravensbergen, who somehow kicked out his pad with a lightning-fast twitch muscle response to deny the Giants’ shooter and the Cougars went on to a 4-2 victory.
Ravensbergen, an 18-year-old native of North Vancouver, has yet to lose to the Giants in his career against the Giants and improved to 8-0 in his 1 ½-season WHL career against Vancouver.
Cougars captain Riley Heidt opened the scoring 13 minutes in after winning a draw in the Vancouver end. Linemates Terik Parascak and Borya Valis both touched the puck before Heidt got it back in the left circle and he found the net for his 19th of the season.
The Cougars had a chance to add to their lead late in the period when Valis was hooked from behind on a breakaway by Marek Howell and was awarded a penalty shot. Valis then elected to try a high wrister on goalie Burke Hood but put his shot over the net.
The Giants poured on the pressure to start the second period and Brett Olson nailed the goalpost before Cameron Schmidt decided it was time to remind the crowd of 2,899 why he’s the WHL’s leading goal scorer.
The 17-year-old draft-eligible Prince George native grabbed the puck in the Giants’ defensive zone and took off up the right wing, then cruised into the slot as he let rip a wicked wrister that found a seam around two Cougars into the top corner of the net, the 29th of the season for Schmidt.
Two quick goals from the Cougars to start the third period broke the 1-1 deadlock. Borya Valis jumped on rebound that bounced off the glove of Burke and dropped into the crease and Valis snapped in his 20th of the season.
A couple of minutes later, Hunter Laing was set up for a one-timer in the slot and Burke made the save but the puck was left at his feet unguarded in the blue paint and Jett Lajoie banged in for what stood as the gamewinner.
The Giants got one back on a power play with about six minutes when captain Mazden Leslie popped in a rebound, setting the stage for Ravensbergen’s late-game dramatics.
Kmec found the empty net with 18 seconds left.
The Cougars outshot the Giants 30-28.
The win left the BC Division-leading Cougars (23-10-2-3) nine points ahead of the third-place Giants (19-15-4-0).
The same teams will meet in a rematch at CN Centre Wednesday night (7 p.m.).
