Edmonds is the Cats’ meow
Cougars all even with Winterhawks in first-round playoff series
Ty Edmonds was zoned in on the Portland Winterhawks. When the puck dropped on Game 2 of the WHL Western Conference quarterfinal playoff series Sunday afternoon at CN Centre, Edmonds was not thinking about the fact his Prince George Cougars had won just one playoff game since 2007.
Nor was the 20-year-old Cougars goalie thinking about his own 1-9 record in his previous three playoff seasons. All he was concerned about was getting his team back in the series and finding ways to prevent the Winterhawks from scoring.
Well, he did that, stopping 40 of 41 shots in a 5-1 victory Sunday which tied the bestof-seven series 1-1.
“It’s been about two years since we won a home playoff game and it was a tough one on Friday and we were all excited to come out tonight and it was a big one to secure Game 5 back home,” said Edmonds. “It would have been hard if we were down 0-2 going to Portland but now with our confidence we’ll come out strong and we’ll come back for Game 5 even stronger.
“It’s always stressful the first two games. We’ve never gone into a series being the favourite so it’s been tough, but we persevered tonight and showed what kind of team we are when we play together.”
Aaron Boyd, with two goals, Brad Morrison, Shane Collins and Radovan Bondra scored for the Cougars. Cody Glass, late in the game on a Winterhawks’ power play, prevented Edmonds from getting the shutout.
Similar to the second and third periods of Game 1 in a 4-2 loss to Portland Friday at CN Centre, the Winterhawks’ speed gave the Cougars all kinds of difficulty. Portland controlled the face-off circle as well in the early going and peppered Edmonds with eight shots in the first five minutes. The ’Hawks line centred by Ryan Hughes with wingers Alex Overhardt and Colton Veloso was all over the Cougars and came close to scoring a couple of times, but Edmonds stood his ground.
The Prince George offence started gaining traction midway through the period and Jansen Harkins tested Portland goaltender Cole Kehler with a backhander in tight quarters, which set the tone for the opening goal from Morrison. Brogan O’Brien won the face-off in the Portland end and got the puck back to Ryan Schoettler, whose point shot was blocked by ’Hawks winger Matt Revel. The puck bounced off Revel into the slot and Morrison slid a low shot into the net.
The Winterhawks came out for the second period with a frenzied attack in the first two minutes, forcing Edmonds to make three tough stops. Skylar McKenzie deflected two point shots from Henri Jokiharju right on goal but Edmonds was ready for them and made the saves.
The Cougars persisted and after a nearmiss from Bondra all alone in the slot, the Cats fourth-line forecheck gave them a 2-0 lead, 8:32 into the second period. Forced by Tanner Wishnowski and Josh Curtis, the ’Hawks coughed up the puck in the corner and Wishnowski put it right on the stick of Boyd, who fired off a quick and low wrister that found the net.
Edmonds was superb in the middle period, the best Cougars penalty-killer on a lengthy 4-on-3 Portland chance which turned into a 5-on-3 for 24 seconds. Edmonds made at least three quality saves to keep the game scoreless and also had luck on his side when Joachim Blichfeld nailed the goalpost and Glass rang the crossbar.
Boyd scored his second of the game late in the second period. He took a bouncing pass and led the rush into the Portland zone with Brendan Guhle and let go a wicked wrister from the face-off dot that found a narrow opening in the top corner of the net behind Kehler. That was the start of a three-goal flurry for the Cougars in a span of 2:32 which carried into the first minute of the third period.
— Ty Edmonds
— see GAME 3, page 8