Cougars, Silvertips battle tonight
The Prince George Cougars know what they did wrong Wednesday night in Portland.
They went for the jugular trying for the win against the Portland Winterhawks and were left licking the wounds of a 2-1 defeat instead of sticking with a defence-first mentality that might have allowed them to leave the rink with at least a point, if not two.
Cody Glass fired the dagger with 39.5 seconds left, taking advantage of an ill-advised pinch at the far blueline by the Cougars’ defence which set up a 3-on-2 break heading the other way.
“I thought everybody played really well, it’s just the mistake of giving up an outnumbered rush with 39 seconds to go is a learning lesson with a young team,” said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk. “As a team we have to recognize where we’re at and who’s on the ice and with Cody Glass and (Skylar) McKenzie on the ice, those are pretty high-profile guys and when they get the opportunities they’re going to put the puck in the back of the net. We addressed it today and we agreed with where we’re at. On the flipside, I thought the guys played really well.”
The Cougars (5-7-2-2, third in B.C. Division) last played at home on Oct. 14 when they suffered their second-straight loss to the Kamloops Blazers. They followed that by taking four of possible six points on a three-game tour of Alberta, then headed south and posted a win and two losses.
The seven-game stretch of road games ends tonight in Everett, where they meet the Silvertips for the first time this season (7:35 p.m. start, 94.3 FN The Goat). Everett (6-9-1-0, fifth in U.S. Division) will visit Prince George for a two-game set at CN Centre next weekend.
Matvichuk said he likes what he’s seen from his younger forwards – Max Kryski, Liam Ryan, Ben Coppinger, Chance Adrian and Matthew Mosher.
All of them are seeing more icetime since winger Nikita Popugaev decided last week to return to his native Russia. Cougar defencemen Cole Moberg, Jonas Harkins, Jack Sander and Peter Kope have also been taking regular shifts as WHL rookies.
“Our young kids are really coming along, they’re not scoring any goals but they’re doing the right things,’ said Matvichuk. “I put a young line (Coppinger, Kryski and Mosher) on the ice against Cody Glass, Skylar McKenzie (and Kieffer Bellows) when Mike (Portland coach Williamson) caught me on a change and they never had one issue against that line and it was great to see that composure. The more we play these kids the better they’re going to get.”
Tavin Grant will get the start tonight in the Cougar nets. He was rock-steady in Portland, blocking 41 of 43 shots to improve his goals-against average to 2.64, third-best in the WHL. Through nine games, the 19-year-old Grant’s .915 save percentage ranks ninth in the league.
“He’s been good on the ice and even better than that he’s been a role model for (Taylor) Gauthier and (Isaiah) DiLaura,” said Matvichuk. “It gives them something to look up to and shows them how hard you have to work.”
Jackson Leppard is expected to return to the lineup tonight after missing the past two games with an upper-body injury which he suffered Friday in Langley in the Cougars’ 2-1 win over the Vancouver Giants. Giants defenceman Darian Keoch was suspended four games for his high hit on Leppard.
The 17-year-old Leppard, a native of North Vancouver picked eighth overall by the Cougars in the 2015 WHL draft, has been a pleasant surprise and has been drawing regular duty on the top scoring line with Jared Bethune and Kody McDonald. Leppard has five goals and eight assists in 14 games.
That’s double his 35-game output last season when he had two goals and five points while drawing limited duty.
“He’s really coming into his own, he’s that typical north-south power forward who finds a knack at the net and it’s good to have his energy back,” said Matvichuk.
The Cougars still have a couple of injuries to deal with. LW Aaron Boyd was hurt by a shot during the game Saturday in Kelowna, but it wasn’t too serious and he will be a game-time decision tonight. While D Josh Anderson will miss his 11th game with a separated shoulder.
Anderson stayed in Prince George for treatments and has been skating and shooting pucks this week with Nick Drazenovic, the team’s director of player development. Anderson’s recovery estimate is still listed as week-to-week.
The Silvertips are still missing G Carter Hart. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect is out with mononucleosis and has played just two games for the ‘Tips this season. Dorrin Luding, a veteran of two seasons of major midget hockey in Prince George for the Cariboo Cougars (2014-16), has appeared in 11 games for Everett this season and sports a 3.64 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. The Silvertips have brought in 16-year-old Dustin Wolf, who earned Vaughn CHL goaltender of the week honours after posting back-to-back wins in Portland and Kamloops last week.