The Prince George Cougars have hit the 50 game mark.
After playing three times this weekend in Alberta, the Cats will have completed their January
schedule and will be set for the stretch drive with just 19 games in February and March before the playoffs.
With more than two-thirds of their regular season complete, the Cougars strength has been “consistency.”
That word has seldom been used with Cougar teams of the past except during the lean years when they were “consistently” bad.
For the skeptics that have been waiting for the second half collapse, it’s not on the radar.
The Cougars have led their division from day one and have a comfortable 10 point lead over Kamloops.
They are also 13 ahead of Kelowna and 15 up on Victoria.
In other words, the division race is for second place.
Despite extensive travel, the Cougars have not lost more than two games in a row all season.
In addition, they have excelled in one-goal games (16-4-3), have won all of their shootouts (4-0) and have been ranked in the CHL Top 10 for 17 consecutive weeks, currently sitting at #7.
For most of the past 10 years, the Cats have found ways to lose, but this season is different and the positive results are noticeable.
One should never take anything for granted but with the Cougars favorable schedule, they are destined to finally earn a banner as division champions.
This weekend, with 40 members of the P.G. Cougars booster club in attendance, they play a struggling Red Deer team (21-20-4-3) and then travel to Edmonton for a double against an Oil Kings team (18-25-3-1) that sits six points out of a playoff spot in the weak Eastern Conference.
February starts with a six game homestand; two against Kelowna (3rd and 4th), two vs. Vancouver (7th and 8th) and two against Spokane (13th at 2pm and 14th).
The Cougars are 4-0 this season against the Rockets.
The Giants are already out of playoff contention and Don Nachbaur’s Chiefs sit 9th in the Western
Conference, only ahead of Vancouver.
Did I already suggest this was a favorable schedule?
Prince George will play in Kelowna on the 19th and in Kamloops on the 20th before closing the month with three home games against the same sub-par teams they are meeting this weekend; home to Red Deer on the 24th and to Edmonton on 24th and 25th.
In March, the Cougars face off in Kelowna on the 1st, host Kamloops on the 3rd and 4th, visit Portland on the 9th, play at Tri-City on the 10th, visit Spokane on the 11th before wrapping up with a home and home against the Blazers, the 17th in Kamloops and the 18th at CN Centre.
To summarize, with 12 of their last 22 on home ice, the Cougars play Kamloops five times, Kelowna and
Edmonton four times, Spokane three times, Red Deer and Vancouver twice and Tri-City and Portland once.
13 of those games are against a team 6th or worse in the Conference standings.
Sure, five are against Kamloops, but the Cougars have already taken five out of a possible six points from the Blazers while outscoring them 15-7 in the process.
I believe somewhere I mentioned this was a favorable schedule.
Prince George has zero games left against the two teams that have given them the most difficulty this season, Everett and Victoria. They are 1-3 against the Silvertips and 4-4 against the Royals.
Should the Cougars get the first or second seed in the Western Conference, which is probable, their first round opponent could end up being Victoria. Other realistic potential opposition in round one are Kelowna, Kamloops, Portland or Spokane.
Naturally, the Cougars and their fans should take nothing for granted, but the team is poised for a first place finish.
However, that accomplishment while commendable, will seem like a breeze compared to the ultimate goal in the post-season.
Yes, there’s just eight weeks remaining before the WHL playoffs begin on March 24th.
For the Cougars, everything appears “right on schedule.”
From the Quote Rack:
Major League Baseball’s newest Hall of Famers already know which hats they’ll wear on their plaques.
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals?
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
A 32-year-old Starbucks barista won over $900,000 in the Westgate Las Vegas football handicapping Super-Contest. Now he can at least afford his own coffee.
Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
Sean McVay has been hired as the L.A. Rams new Head Coach. I thought I heard it was John McVie of Fleetwood Mac. Sorry, but that news just went Over My Head.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver http://alwaysfunny.com/
And in case you missed it:
Novak Djokovic was upset in Round 2 of the Australian Open by wild-card entry Denis Istomin. This is what happens when you forget to take an anti-Istomin.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat.
He also is the 94.3 radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller