Pacific Coliseum, the home of the Vancouver Giants, might be a great place to watch a hockey game, but it hasn't been kind to the Prince George Cougars.
Dating back five seasons, the Cougars have won just two of 14 games in Vancouver, and that task doesn't get any easier tonight. After a slow start to their season, the Giants (22-19-1-4) have leapfrogged Prince George into first place in the WHL's ultra-competitive B.C. Division, two points ahead of the third-place Cougars (22-20-2-1).
Playing in a division in which just six points separates the top team from the bottom, the Giants' 11-6-1-1 record against divisional opponents ranks as the best in B.C. The Cougars are so far 10-12-1-0 against B.C. Division teams, their opponents in six of the next seven games.
The Cats got spanked 6-2 Wednesday night in Kelowna and head into tonight's game having lost four of their last five games. The Rockets scored three goals in the opening 13 minutes to take a 3-0 lead and the Cougars never recovered.
"It's tough to win hockey games on the road when you have that kind of start," said Cougars head coach Dean Clark. "If you want to be successful on the road you have to have relentless determination in order to win some battles and knock some pucks into the net."
Ty Rimmer started the game in goal for the Cougars and was replaced after the third Rockets goal on nine shots. Adam Brown made 30 saves in the Rockets nets.
"I thought we had some great chances we didn't finish," Clark added. "Their goaltender played very sharp. We need to be more determined to get the puck behind him and we weren't."
On a night when they needed all of the forwards to take up the slack with their two top goalscorers -- Brett Connolly and Charles Inglis -- out with injuries, only the fourth line of Caleb Belter, Shane Pilling and Tayler Thompson earned their coach's approval for delivering a consistent effort in Wednesday's game.
"We need (James) Dobrowolski, (Taylor) Stefishen and (Greg) Fraser to be our best guys and when they're not, that hurts," Clark said. "It's pretty tough if your better guys aren't your better guys and aren't your determined guys. We hung Priestner out to dry a few times. We were so puck-focused, we looked like a peewee team out there sometimes in our D-zone."
The Giants under head coach Don Hay are known for bringing their work ethic to the rink. Clark said his team will have to be much better in that department to take two points from a team that's had their number for so long. That means finding a way to limit the damage of Brendan Gallagher, the Giants leading scorer (28 goals 29 assists 57 points).
"If we don't in and work as hard as Brendan Gallagher, it'll be the same thing," Clark said. "You've got to be prepared to outwork guys like that. That's all they do is work."
The Cougars move on to Chilliwack Saturday to play the Bruins.
