nivek_wahs
04-27-2007, 01:43 AM
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=59479&Itemid=160
Bowles is the Cats meow
JIM SWANSONCitizen Sports Editor
(Sports) Thursday, 26 April 2007, 02:00 PST
It’s not over yet.
It’s close, and the Prince George Cougars know it, but it’s not over.
The Cats fought off the first elimination game they’ve faced in these playoffs with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday.
Devin Setoguchi, who had been held in check through the first four games, finally broke out in overtime with his first goal of the series. Setoguchi hammered home a crease-top feed by linemate Jared Walker 3:38 into overtime, sending a capacity crowd of 5,982 home very, very happy.
The Cougars' victory forces Game 5 in the series, that one going Friday at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver (7:30 p.m. start). The Giants lead the series 3-1, and won’t want to let Prince George bring the series back north for a sixth game on Sunday.
“(Goaltender Scott Bowles) barred the door for us and we got our one chance and made the most of it,” said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck, whose team is 6-1 on home ice in the playoffs.
“Now we have to regroup and go down there and win another game on the road and bring it back here for Game 6.”
Setoguchi’s goal won it, but he wasn’t the headliner. Bowles, who had been the cheerleader while Real Cyr led this team through two rounds of the playoffs, got the call and was simply dazzling in net, making 41 saves. Most of them were worthy of highlight status.
Bowles, making just his second start of these playoffs, flashed his pads time and time again, even blocking three chances in overtime that appeared destined to kick the Cats out on the golf course.
“It was nice to get in the game, and the goal was just to play and have fun,” said Bowles.
“When I found out I was going, I felt good all day and I came to the rink and things went my way. I have to go out and do it again (Friday).”
Bowles didn’t try to use the start as a statement game of any kind, not even under the pressure of knowing it could be the final outing of a four-year WHL career. But if Vancouver had scored the overtime winner, Bowles would’ve put up a stunning curtain on his junior days.
“I’m pretty satisfied with how my career’s gone, so I just went out there and played,” said the 20-year-old.
“My goal wasn’t to stand on my head or get a shutout - that’s too much pressure for me. I’ve already got grey hairs popping up as it is, so I just went out there and whatever happened, happened. It was fun.”
Even Bowles’s teammates were in awe.
“There’s no explanation for that,” said Setoguchi.
“I’ll bet you the fans gave him a standing ovation when he went out there as the first star (they did) - he played great. You need that in the playoffs. Cyr’s been playing great, and it’s great for Scott to step in and play like that.”
Setoguchi said his team isn’t about to concede the series to the Giants.
“You can never say never, and it’s possible,” said the 20-year-old.
“You have to take it game-by-game, and we’re going to have to start (today) on the bus ride down, make sure everyone’s hydrating, and get ready for Game 5.”
The Giants started slowly Wednesday, perhaps thinking the Cougars would roll over. Vancouver picked it up through the game, particularly in the second period when they fired 20 shots at Bowles.
“We would’ve liked to have won and wrapped up the series, but we have to eliminate some mistakes and be ready for them on Friday,” said Vancouver captain Brett Festerling, a Quesnel product.
“It wasn’t the best start, but I thought the guys battled hard and had a good second period. We had opportunities in OT to win, but we didn’t. (Bowles) played well, and we have to outwork him. We can’t let him be a star.”
The Cougars halted Vancouver’s playoff road winning streak at 13 games, and now have to do what they did to Kamloops and Everett to move on to the WHL championship - win four in a row. The first series was a sweep, the second was a four-game winning string that dumped the Silvertips, the No. 1-ranked team in the CHL that took a 2-0 lead after the first two games.
The Cougars got their first lead of this series against the Giants in the first period on a goal by Richard Rapac, who finished with two points. In the second, Walker popped in a power-play goal and it looked like the game was well in hand.
It was, until a 44-second hiccup.
Kenndal McArdle and Milan Lucic, both capitalizing on horrible mistakes by the Prince George defence, which got away with far too many soft plays all night, got the Giants back on even terms before the second period was complete. A scoreless third period set up Setoguchi’s theatrics.
“I thought we were playing really well, and then 44 seconds near the end of the second really hurt us and put us behind the eight-ball,” said Schoneck.
“But our guys never quit and never gave up, and we got it to overtime and found a way to win. Everyone’s excited we’re going back, and we know there’s a long road to go here. You have to take it one at a time.”
The Cougars killed off a pair of key two-man disadvantages, one a duration of 1:42 in the first period, the other a 23-second test in the second with the score still 2-0 in favour of the home club. Bowles made a Dominik Hasek-like stop on Jonathon Blum during that second stretch, dropping his stick and stuffing Blum on the goal line using just his blocker.
It seemed like ages after the deciding marker, but Bowles’s most impressive save might’ve come late in the first period. With the Cougars on a power play, Ty Wishart and Setoguchi slothed their way back to their own zone to deal with a Giants 2-on-1, and Bowles used his right pad to stone Mario Bliznak and sent a clear message to Vancouver that Bowles was going to put up a wall.
Bowles stopped Spencer Machacek early in overtime when Vladimir Mihalik turned the wrong way and was beaten badly. Mihalik then gave up the puck off the ensuing faceoff for another quality Vancouver chance.
The Cougars’ bandwagon didn’t empty early. With the Cougars down 3-0 and the Vancouver Canucks opening their second-round NHL playoff series with the Anaheim Ducks, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if purchased tickets went unused by people who wanted to stay home and watch that televised game. And all those in attendance stayed until the celebration was sparked by Setoguchi.
KITTY LITTER: The Cougars are scheduled to bus out this morning at 10. The Giants left immediately after Wednesday’s game... Eric Hunter (ankle), Jesse Dudas (leg), Kyle Klym and Lance Redden were the scratches for Prince George. Steven Kajic was in the lineup the last two nights, and drew a penalty in Game 3 that put the Cats up by two men... Schoneck jumbled the lines a bit, moving Dale Hunt down to the fourth line alongside Kajic and Chad Hohmann, and putting Richard Rapac on the second line with Greg Gardner and Dana Tyrell. Jordie Deagle skated with Nick Drazenovic and Evan Fuller... Scary moment in the third - linesman Kiel Murchison was hit in the head with a fired-in shot by Giants winger Mike Wuchterl. Murchison finished the game... The Prince Albert Raiders quietly announced Wednesday that the contract of veteran head coach Peter Anholt has not been renewed.
Bowles is the Cats meow
JIM SWANSONCitizen Sports Editor
(Sports) Thursday, 26 April 2007, 02:00 PST
It’s not over yet.
It’s close, and the Prince George Cougars know it, but it’s not over.
The Cats fought off the first elimination game they’ve faced in these playoffs with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday.
Devin Setoguchi, who had been held in check through the first four games, finally broke out in overtime with his first goal of the series. Setoguchi hammered home a crease-top feed by linemate Jared Walker 3:38 into overtime, sending a capacity crowd of 5,982 home very, very happy.
The Cougars' victory forces Game 5 in the series, that one going Friday at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver (7:30 p.m. start). The Giants lead the series 3-1, and won’t want to let Prince George bring the series back north for a sixth game on Sunday.
“(Goaltender Scott Bowles) barred the door for us and we got our one chance and made the most of it,” said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck, whose team is 6-1 on home ice in the playoffs.
“Now we have to regroup and go down there and win another game on the road and bring it back here for Game 6.”
Setoguchi’s goal won it, but he wasn’t the headliner. Bowles, who had been the cheerleader while Real Cyr led this team through two rounds of the playoffs, got the call and was simply dazzling in net, making 41 saves. Most of them were worthy of highlight status.
Bowles, making just his second start of these playoffs, flashed his pads time and time again, even blocking three chances in overtime that appeared destined to kick the Cats out on the golf course.
“It was nice to get in the game, and the goal was just to play and have fun,” said Bowles.
“When I found out I was going, I felt good all day and I came to the rink and things went my way. I have to go out and do it again (Friday).”
Bowles didn’t try to use the start as a statement game of any kind, not even under the pressure of knowing it could be the final outing of a four-year WHL career. But if Vancouver had scored the overtime winner, Bowles would’ve put up a stunning curtain on his junior days.
“I’m pretty satisfied with how my career’s gone, so I just went out there and played,” said the 20-year-old.
“My goal wasn’t to stand on my head or get a shutout - that’s too much pressure for me. I’ve already got grey hairs popping up as it is, so I just went out there and whatever happened, happened. It was fun.”
Even Bowles’s teammates were in awe.
“There’s no explanation for that,” said Setoguchi.
“I’ll bet you the fans gave him a standing ovation when he went out there as the first star (they did) - he played great. You need that in the playoffs. Cyr’s been playing great, and it’s great for Scott to step in and play like that.”
Setoguchi said his team isn’t about to concede the series to the Giants.
“You can never say never, and it’s possible,” said the 20-year-old.
“You have to take it game-by-game, and we’re going to have to start (today) on the bus ride down, make sure everyone’s hydrating, and get ready for Game 5.”
The Giants started slowly Wednesday, perhaps thinking the Cougars would roll over. Vancouver picked it up through the game, particularly in the second period when they fired 20 shots at Bowles.
“We would’ve liked to have won and wrapped up the series, but we have to eliminate some mistakes and be ready for them on Friday,” said Vancouver captain Brett Festerling, a Quesnel product.
“It wasn’t the best start, but I thought the guys battled hard and had a good second period. We had opportunities in OT to win, but we didn’t. (Bowles) played well, and we have to outwork him. We can’t let him be a star.”
The Cougars halted Vancouver’s playoff road winning streak at 13 games, and now have to do what they did to Kamloops and Everett to move on to the WHL championship - win four in a row. The first series was a sweep, the second was a four-game winning string that dumped the Silvertips, the No. 1-ranked team in the CHL that took a 2-0 lead after the first two games.
The Cougars got their first lead of this series against the Giants in the first period on a goal by Richard Rapac, who finished with two points. In the second, Walker popped in a power-play goal and it looked like the game was well in hand.
It was, until a 44-second hiccup.
Kenndal McArdle and Milan Lucic, both capitalizing on horrible mistakes by the Prince George defence, which got away with far too many soft plays all night, got the Giants back on even terms before the second period was complete. A scoreless third period set up Setoguchi’s theatrics.
“I thought we were playing really well, and then 44 seconds near the end of the second really hurt us and put us behind the eight-ball,” said Schoneck.
“But our guys never quit and never gave up, and we got it to overtime and found a way to win. Everyone’s excited we’re going back, and we know there’s a long road to go here. You have to take it one at a time.”
The Cougars killed off a pair of key two-man disadvantages, one a duration of 1:42 in the first period, the other a 23-second test in the second with the score still 2-0 in favour of the home club. Bowles made a Dominik Hasek-like stop on Jonathon Blum during that second stretch, dropping his stick and stuffing Blum on the goal line using just his blocker.
It seemed like ages after the deciding marker, but Bowles’s most impressive save might’ve come late in the first period. With the Cougars on a power play, Ty Wishart and Setoguchi slothed their way back to their own zone to deal with a Giants 2-on-1, and Bowles used his right pad to stone Mario Bliznak and sent a clear message to Vancouver that Bowles was going to put up a wall.
Bowles stopped Spencer Machacek early in overtime when Vladimir Mihalik turned the wrong way and was beaten badly. Mihalik then gave up the puck off the ensuing faceoff for another quality Vancouver chance.
The Cougars’ bandwagon didn’t empty early. With the Cougars down 3-0 and the Vancouver Canucks opening their second-round NHL playoff series with the Anaheim Ducks, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if purchased tickets went unused by people who wanted to stay home and watch that televised game. And all those in attendance stayed until the celebration was sparked by Setoguchi.
KITTY LITTER: The Cougars are scheduled to bus out this morning at 10. The Giants left immediately after Wednesday’s game... Eric Hunter (ankle), Jesse Dudas (leg), Kyle Klym and Lance Redden were the scratches for Prince George. Steven Kajic was in the lineup the last two nights, and drew a penalty in Game 3 that put the Cats up by two men... Schoneck jumbled the lines a bit, moving Dale Hunt down to the fourth line alongside Kajic and Chad Hohmann, and putting Richard Rapac on the second line with Greg Gardner and Dana Tyrell. Jordie Deagle skated with Nick Drazenovic and Evan Fuller... Scary moment in the third - linesman Kiel Murchison was hit in the head with a fired-in shot by Giants winger Mike Wuchterl. Murchison finished the game... The Prince Albert Raiders quietly announced Wednesday that the contract of veteran head coach Peter Anholt has not been renewed.