If there’s any consolation for the Prince George Cougars today, it’s that their disastrous trip south of the border is over.
In last night’s (Tuesday) conclusion to their six-game road trip, the Cougars fell 8-1 to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Jordan Gustafson got the lively crowd of 3,468 at the Accesso ShoWare Centre Center alive early by scoring just 3:18 into the game, and added two more goals to complete the first period hat-trick.
‘Twas a good night for Gus.@SeattleTbirds | @GoldenKnights | #WHLHatTricks pic.twitter.com/G9PgpjiZob
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 14, 2022
Bryce Pickford added a highlight reel goal for Seattle in the first as well.
📽️ HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT 📽️ Haaaaaaaaaaavvvve you met Bryce?@SeattleTbirds | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/gQYUuI25TT
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 14, 2022
Prince George product Nico Myatovic scored one of his own, and added three assists for Seattle.
Kyle Crnkovic scored a pair, and Sam Popowich topped the night off for the Thunderbirds.
Blake Eastman, on the power-play, was the lone goal scorer for the understaffed Cougars, with Hudson Thornton and Koehn Ziemmer picking up the assists.
The Cats were without six of their players, with Ephram McNutt and Jaxsen Wiebe out with illnesses, Cole Dubinsky out with an injury, Ondrej Becher away at Czechia’s national team camp, and Ethan Samson and Tyler Brennan yet to return from Canada’s camp.
The full box score can be found here.
With the loss, the Cougars are now 14-15-1-0 on the season, and remain eight points back of the BC Division leading Kamloops Blazers (16-6-3-2).
The Thunderbirds improved to 21-4-1-1, just one point behind the US Division leading Portland Winterhawks.
The full WHL standings can be found here.
The Cougars had been excellent on the road prior to the start of this road trip, and boasted an away record of 8-3-0-0.
After last night’s schneidering, the Cats are now 9-7-1-0 away from home on the season.
The Cougars will return home for a doubleheader with the Blazers this weekend, the first of four in a row against Kamloops.
The Cougars’ full schedule can be found here.
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