The Prince George Cougars have to be feeling the heat that's coming from the Kamloops Blazers.
Having lost their last four straight games at home and seven of their last 10, the Cougars are now just one point ahead of the Blazers in the WHL Western Conference playoff race.
The Cougars (28-30-2-1) still rank seventh in the West, while Kamloops (27-31-3-1) holds down the eighth and final playoff spot. The Blazers have played 62 games, one more than the Cats, who kick off a three-game, three-night roadtrip tonight in Spokane (7 p.m., 99.3 FM The Drive) to face the Chiefs tonight.
The Cougars played well in Wednesday's 6-5 loss to the division-leading Portland Winterhawks but let up at critical times during the game and the Winterhawks and their potent lineup took advantage. Portland also beat the Cougars 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Defeating the Chiefs won't be any easier. Spokane (38-17-4-2) ranks third in the conference, but has the second-most points (82) of any Western-based team, just three less than Portland.
In their only meeting this season, Oct. 27 in Spokane, the Chiefs won 7-3.
"I think we can take some positives out of (Wednesday's game) and get ourselves ready for the next game," said Cougars head coach Dean Clark. "We're going through a busy time and we have to find a way to get some points.
"We did some good things (against Portland) but they're a team that will jump on you if you make a mistake so we have to answer back and make sure we don't give up those easy chances."
From Spokane, the Cougars move on to Everett to play the Silvertips Saturday night, ending the trip with a Sunday afternoon game against the Chilliwack Bruins. The Bruins are five points behind Kamloops but have four games in hand over the Blazers and have played three less games than the Cougars.
"We're going down there determined -- it's a big roadtrip and we have to get some points and we're going to battle hard and play hard," said Cougars forward Charles Inglis, who scored two goals Wednesday to bring his season total to 28.
"February has been a mean month, but we're used to playing on the road. We did that in that Alberta road swing with a lot of games in not a lot of time. We're in good shape, we just have to stay mentally into it."
The Bruins host the Vancouver Giants tonight and will have captain Brandon Manning back in the lineup. Manning, a Prince George minor hockey product, hasn't played since Feb. 2, having served a seven-game suspension for a hit on Kamloops defenceman Austin Madaisky. The 19-year-old Columbus draft pick suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck and is out for the season.
As of Thursday night, the league still hadn't decided on the length of Cougar forward Spencer Asuchak's suspension for a charging major he received late in Tuesday's game after colliding with Portland goalie Mac Carruth. Carruth suffered a concussion and did not play Wednesday. His return date is listed as day-to-day.
