Koehn Ziemmer finished how we started for the Prince George Cougars.
The 20-year-old star forward book-ended a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory against the Vancouver Giants in front of 5,979 fans at CN Centre on Sunday with a pair of goals sending the home fans happy.
Ziemmer’s blast from inside the Giants blueline in the extra period blew past goaltender Burke Hood to give the Cats a mark of 11-4-3-2.
“We came into the weekend knowing there are tough points in this league. I think when you play a division rival like that you have to capitalize. We had another bad second period but we showed our resilience in the third and finished the job,” said Ziemmer post-game to Vista Radio.
Koehn Ziemmer’s hot streak continues with an overtime winner, and for the second night in a row 6,000 people are going home with pizza!@LAKings | @CarlsJrCA https://t.co/ebzg047gai pic.twitter.com/tcZH01JNPc
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) November 11, 2024
The signed Los Angeles Kings prospect opened the scoring at 4:13 of the first period connecting on a three-way scoring play that involved Riley Heidt and Villam Kmec.
Heidt briefly left the game for repairs following a high-stick to the face from Vancouver’s Blake Chorney – resulting in a double-minor.
Ziemmer set the table for Lee Shurgot who played up with the big boys on the top power-play unit and made no mistake against Hood resulting in a 2-0 edge.
“The play broke in the zone and I got a pass after Ziemmer tried to shoot there and went for a wrap-around. The puck hoped out in front and was fortunate to be there.”
It was the second goal of the weekend for Shurgot who finally got his 1st in the WHL during Saturday’s 7-1 thrashing against Vancouver.
The 17-year-old from Saskatoon is feeling a lot more major-junior ready in his first full season of duty with the Cats after the odds were stacked against him on last year’s star-studded team to carve out a regular role.
“I know what to expect now and am more comfortable. Preparing for the higher pace of the game and the speed is obviously the big thing and it’s made a huge difference.”
“I worked on my skating quite a bit so I can keep up with how fast this league is.”
Shurgot posted 50 points in 30 games last season with the Saskatoon Blazers U-18 AAA program and also tallied 11 points in 10 post-season outings.
Lee Shurgot scored his first career goal last night, and decided he likes it! (and what a feed from Ziemmer!)@LAKings | @CarlsJrCA https://t.co/Jqo2mfFc6u pic.twitter.com/MJ0CA1rybo
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) November 10, 2024
Prior to the end of the first, Cameron Schmidt wowed his hometown for the second consecutive day, notching his first of two goals on the man-advantage as his float shot made its way past Cougars goaltender Cooper Michaluk making the score 2-1.
PG failed to learn its lesson from Saturday night serving up another sloppy second period against the Giants.
After a successful penalty kill, Vancouver led a 2-on-2 transition rush led by Calgary Flames prospect Jayden Lipinski who dropped the puck back to Ty Halaburda who rifled a wrist shot past Michaluk for a 2-2 game.
Sensing the game slipping away, Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb elected to send out his physical checking line of Hunter Laing, Aiden Foster and Matteo Danis to wake up the napping hosts.
Like a bolt of lightning, the move paid off as Foster forged the puck inside the Giants zone allowing Laing to send a knuckle puck past Hood to regain the lead.
However, unlike one night earlier, Vancouver’s never-say-die attitude showed up in spades prior to the second intermission. Winnipeg Jets prospect Conner Levis set up Jacob Oreskovic who found Tyus Sparks who evened the score once again.
In the third, PG came out like gangbusters peppering Hood with shots. The levy finally broke as Jett Lajoie collected his 9th of the campaign tapping home a loose puck into the yawning Vancouver cage.
But, much like the ebb’s and flows experienced in the opening 40 minutes – the Giants gave the Cougars one last scare.
With Hood pulled, the Vancouver hemmed the Cats in their own zone – a near miss by Halaburda was followed up by a Schmidt blast that beat Michaluk sending the game to overtime.
DON’T GO ANYWHERE!
Cameron Schmidt evens the score with his 20th of the season.@WHLGiants | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/fkr0KEtRo6
— The WHL (@TheWHL) November 11, 2024
PG outshot Vancouver (9-6-2-0) 34-25 and went 2-for-5 on the power-play while the visitors went 1-for-3.
Despite giving up four, Michaluk picked up the 20-save victory – this included several point blank stops including a short-handed breakaway on Lipinski in the middle frame.
Heidt ended the contest with a trio of assists while Kmec also had a pair of helpers.
Schmidt, a PG native, now has 20 goals on the season – good enough for the league lead, three ahead of Shea Van Olm of the Spokane Chiefs and Hunter St. Martin of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Not to be outdone, but Ziemmer is the third man on the list who also has 17 goals on the campaign – the 20-year-old has 24 points in 13 games and is on a five-game goal scoring heater.
In four of those contests, he has alternated hat-tricks and two-goal outings.
Plus two assists 🤷♂️@LAKings . #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/FfpqUrMg4K
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) November 11, 2024
“Things are going my way right now and I have to keep putting in the work. Hopefully, they keep going my way.”
The Cougars are back on home ice for a pair of games against the Kelowna Rockets (6-7-1-1) Friday (7pm) and Saturday (6pm) at CN Centre.
Aiden Foster, you are a bad, bad man 💥#NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/aN8AoIlqbL
— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) November 11, 2024
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