The Blazers are first in the B.C. Division, a whopping 32 points ahead of the last-place Cougars, but Prince George is 3-2 this season against Kamloops.
A large reason the Cougars have had success against the Blazers is goalie Taylor Gauthier.
The 18-year-old Gauthier continued his consistent play with 37 saves to lead Prince George to a 3-1 victory over Kamloops before 3,077 fans at CN Centre.
The Blazers, who outshot the Cougars 38-16, had their nine-game win streak and eight-game road winning streak come to an end.
Saturday was the first loss for Kamloops in January and first road loss since December 10th.
Gauthier, who is clearly the MVP of the Cougars this season, stopped 77 of 80 shots over the two games against Kamloops on the weekend.
(The Blazers won the Friday game 3-0 with the last goal into an empty net).
In the five games against the Blazers this season, Gauthier has a whopping .954 save percentage.
FINAL: @blazerhockey (1) at @PGCougars (3)
STATS ? | https://t.co/WghvD7PyxG#PGvsKAM pic.twitter.com/xGijtnVbV9
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 26, 2020
#WHLThreeStars ⭐⭐⭐
Saturday, January 25, 2020 pic.twitter.com/EZrngnEdOn— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 26, 2020
Tyson Upper broke a 1-1 tie at 1:36 of the third period, converting on a breakaway.
Jonny Hooker scored the Cougars at 3:57 of the second period, ending the Kamloops’ shutout streak at 234 minutes.
Rookie Rayce Ramsay took the loss in net.
Josh Maser added an empty-net goal with four seconds left in the third.
Caeden Bankier scored for the (31-12-2-1) Blazers late in the second period.
The (13-25-3-4) Cougars are eight points behind the (18-22-3-2) Seattle Thunderbirds for the final Western Conference wild-card spot with both teams having 23 games left, including four against each other.
Seattle lost 6-5 in a shootout to Portland on Saturday.
The Cats are also tied with the (14-25-4-1) Tri-City Americans.
The Cougars are 1-1 on a six-game homestand which will continue Friday and Saturday against Tri-City.
The Americans have lost six straight and are 1-9 since trading goalie Beck Warm to the Edmonton Oil Kings on January 1st.
In their last 10 games, Tri-City has been outscored 70-24, including 45-9 in their last six.
Prince George will also host Seattle on Feb. 4th and 5th.
VIC 2 WPG 5
LET 6 BDN 5 (OT)
EDM 3 SAS 2
MH 4 PA 3 (SO)
SC 6 MJ 3
CGY 5 RD 2
KAM 1 PG 3
KEL 3 VAN 2 (OT)
POR 6 SEA 5 (SO)
SPO 7 TC 2— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 26, 2020
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The P.G. Cougars schedule/results right here.
The WHL standings are right here.
CAT SCAN: @Hartley_Miller chats with @cariboocougars bench boss and former @PGCougars player Tyler Brough on this week’s edition of the Cat Scan podcast
| https://t.co/WEogp7hCzA #CityofPG #sports #NorthernUprising pic.twitter.com/zV9mpx1qH7— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) January 23, 2020
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