It goes without saying that Prince George Cougars goalie Josh Ravensbergen had a different ending in mind than the one that befell the Cougars with their 4-2 Game 7 loss to Portland Winterhawks on Monday.
Like most of the 6,016 fans who packed into CN Centre that night, Ravensbergen thought this would be the year the Cougars finally shook that Portland monkey off their backs to move on to the next round of the WHL playoffs.
But just like last year’s Western Conference final, a series that ended at the hands of the Winterhawks in double overtime in Game 6, the Cougars could not avoid another cruel fate and the inevitable questions of what they could have done differently.
“Obviously it’s super-disappointing but I’m super-proud of how our guys battled back from 3-1 (down in the series), it shows a lot of character, but unfortunately we couldn’t get the job done,” said Ravensbergen.
“It was a really tough, a couple games, but I’m happy with how I rebounded but it wasn’t enough in the end. I feel like I could have been better in Game 7. Our group played really well and we faced a hot goaltender. I could have made one or two saves to make us a little more competitive but the guys played really well in front of me, a couple unlucky bounces here and there.”
Ravensbergen would be the first to admit he wasn’t his usual self in the first three games of the playoffs but snapped back to the kind of goaltending that put him prominently on the charts of NHL scouts made him the top-ranked North American goaltender available in this year’s draft.
“I’ve seen him do it last year, he carried us through to the conference final and I’m not surprised he was able to do it again this year,” said Cougars captain Riley Heidt. “He’s a true competitor, I’ve never seen a guy work harder, he wants it so bad. The sky’s the limit for that kid and love playing in front of him. He gives you a ton of confidence when you’ve got a rock back there in the crease.”
That ability to block out the negatives and get back to the carefree attitude that made him so effective throughout his WHL career is what allowed the Cougars to push the series to the limit.
“You have to learn how to handle it and just do your best to have fun and I think that when I’m playing my best I’m enjoying it and not really thinking about too much about the result,” said Ravensbergen.
“I’m really thankful they put that trust in me and happy that I was able to bounce back for a couple games but ultimately I feel like I could have been a lot better in the series, which is disappointing, but I’m proud of how our group battled.”
Ravensbergen said he was on a steep learning curve last season when he emerged as one of the league’s top goalies as a 17-year-old rookie and now that his day-to-day game worries are behind him for the next few months he can focus on everything he needs to do to raise his stock at the draft table in Los Angeles, June 26-27.
“I feel like I was a lot more poised (this season), my positioning was a lot better and I became a better skater as well — I feel lot more powerful, a lot stronger in the crease, which is exciting,” said the six-foot-five, 192-pound native of North Vancouver.
“This summer will be really important to me. I want to put on some size and get stronger. I feel I can get a lot better in the summer and I’m looking forward to coming back next year and being a lot better for our guys.”
He can’t predict how the NHL draft will unfold, with Cougar forward Aiden Foster and Jett Lajoie also considered candidates to hear their names called, but whatever happens Ravensbergen knows he’s come a long way since arriving in the Cougars’ camp two years ago as a relative unknown.
“It’s something I’ve worked really hard for and a couple years ago I couldn’t have dreamed of being in the position that I am today,” he said. “A lot of that goes to the coaches and teammates for having trusted me and I’m thankful for all they’ve done to get me to this point.”
Ravensbergen is one of six finalists for the WHL 's Del Wilson Memorial Trophy that goes to the goaltender of the years, as voted by the league's general managers.
The other finalists for the Wilson award are: Max Hildebrand, Prince Albert Raiders; Daniel Hauser, Calgary Hitmen; Carson Bjarnason, Brandon Wheat Kings; Scott Ratzlaff, Seattle Thunderbirds and Dawson Cowan, Spokane Chiefs.
