It went the distance and then some as the final pre-season tilt between the Prince George Cougars and Edmonton Oil Kings was decided in overtime at the Encana Events Centre in Dawson Creek on Saturday afternoon.
Ultimately, it would be the Oil Kings taking home the win by a score of 2-1, thanks to the overtime heroics of Jake Neighbours.
Neighbours scored a power-play goal 36-seconds into overtime for the Oil Kings to break the deadlock. Riley Sawchuk also scored on the power-play for Edmonton in the first period. The Oil Kings scored six power-play goals in two games against Prince George (Edmonton won 6-1 on Thursday).
Dylan Myskiw and Sebastian Cossa split time in the Oil Kings’ crease. Myskew stopped 28 of 29 shots through 40-minutes. Cosaa turned aside 12 shots in just over 20-minutes of work.
Jackson Leppard scored the Cougars’ only goal, on a penalty-shot no less, in the dying moments of the second period. With just eight seconds left on the clock, Leppard slowly moved in and outwaited the Edmonton netminder long enough to sneak the puck through the five-hole.
In what was his first and only start of the pre-season, Taylor Gauthier went the distance, stopping 37 of 39 shots. Gauthier made several quality saves but none better Saturday afternoon was his glove save on the Oil King’s Vladimir Alistrov in the first period.
The Cougars finished the pre-season with an 0-4-1-0 record.
The Cougars’ home opener is slated for Friday at 7:00 p.m. against the Vancouver Giants.