The Prince George Cougars took advantage of a Tri-City Americans team that played without half-a-dozen of its top players due to injury.
The Cougars whipped the Americans 5-2 in Kennewick, Washington to earn a split of their two-game road trip to the United States; PG lost Friday’s game 6-2 against Spokane.
The Cats leading scorer, Jared Bethune, notched an empty net goal and added two assists.
. @bethune_21 with an empty-net goal and that will do it. Cougars win 5-2! Going back north with two BIG points. #WHL #PGvsTC pic.twitter.com/rwboFr4jY6
— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) January 14, 2018
Jackson Leppard, Vladislav Mikhalchuk, and first star Ilijah Colina all scored once and added an assist.
It was Colina’s second game in a Prince George uniform after the 17-year-old was acquired in that massive deadline day deal with Portland for Dennis Cholowski.
Joel Lakusta opened the scoring, just 2:22 into the game on a power play, and the Cougars would add three more goals in the second.
Tavin Grant made 26 saves as each team had 28 shots.
“The guys did a great job. I thought Colina and Lakusta were exceptional. Those guys really led the way for us. I know we had some loose moments there, which a young group will have, but for the most part we really locked it down from start to finish,” said Cougars Assistant Head Coach Steve O’Rourke on 94.3 the GOAT‘s post-game show.
The win moved Prince George into fourth place in the BC Division and ninth place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers and five back of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
FINAL: @PGCougars (5) at @TCAmericans (2)
SCORING ? | https://t.co/ZltsR0sEnr#TCvsPG
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 14, 2018
The Thunderbirds, who sit in the final wild-card playoff spot, visit the 17-20-4-3 Cougars Tuesday and Wednesday.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE: (As of Sunday morning, January 14th)
BC DIVISION STANDINGS:
Kelowna, 43 games = 27-13-2-1 (57 points)
Vancouver, 45 games = 25-14-4-2 (56 points)
Victoria, 45 games = 25-16-3-1 (54 points)
Prince George, 44 games = 17-20-4-3 (41 points)
Kamloops, 43 games = 18-22-1-2 (39 points)
WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD:
Spokane, 44 games = 22-19-1-2 (47 points)
Seattle, 42 games = 20-16-4-2 (46 points)
Prince George, 44 games = 17-20-4-3 (41 points)
Kamloops, 43 games = 18-22-1-2 (39 points)