WestLEAFfan
10-17-2007, 07:04 AM
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=100043&Itemid=160
Cougars loving road life
(Sports) Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 22:56 PST
JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
The Prince George Cougars said an early-season trip would help the bonding process -- on and off the ice. With two wins in three games so far, it’s hard not to agree.
The Cats put themselves within one win of guaranteeing an admirable .500 record on the six-game trip with a 3-1 triumph Tuesday over the Saskatoon Blades.
The Cougars are 2-1 on the trip, improving to 3-7-0-0 overall, and those on the inside of the bus are watching things come together. The Blades (3-5-1-0), meanwhile, start a five-game western swing Friday in Spokane and are headed in the opposite direction.
“Part of it is getting out and getting the guys together, but more than that we’re a month into things here and guys are starting to get more comfortable with our systems,” said head coach Drew Schoneck.
“We’re getting better reads, being in better position, and with that comes better results. The biggest difference tonight was special teams -- they scored a power-play goal early, but we really shut them down from there and our power play capitalized when we needed it most.”
The Cougars, now 2-2 in road games this season, were 2-9 on the power play and outshot the Blades 33-31, including 19-7 in the second period.
“Prince George outworked us... give them credit,” Blades coach Lorne Molleken told the StarPhoenix.
Veteran Real Cyr got the call in goal for the Cougars, and was victimized early when Walker Wintoneak converted on a power play with 2:43 gone in the game and Cougars winger Morgan MacLean serving a charging penalty.
But the Cougars turned a string of Blades minor penalties into the tying goal -- and could’ve done even more damage if they’d been able to take advantage of the second of two five-on-three chances. On the first opportunity, Dana Tyrell was the beneficiary of a dandy pass from captain Greg Gardner late in the first period, connecting to knot the score at 1-1.
The Cougars increased that to a 3-1 advantage after 40 minutes on goals by Alex Poulter, his fourth, and newcomer MacLean, who used his big shot to beat Blades goaltender Braden Holtby high for Prince George’s second power-play goal.
Neither team scored in the third. Cyr finished with 30 saves in his first action on the road trip, picking up his second victory of the season. He was the first star of the game, dropping his goals-against average to 5.13 in the process, and securing the nod tonight in Prince Albert where he’ll play his final WHL game in front of family and friends.
“He certainly earned that -- with our goalies, we’re going to run with a ‘win and you’re in’ program,” said Schoneck.
“We were victimized by a bit of a bad start, they were up on us 7-0 in shots, and he really stemmed the tide for us. He made some nice saves then, and also in the third when they got some power plays and he really controlled his rebounds.
“But the important part was once our guys got our legs underneath them and started pressuring them we took control of the hockey game.”
Garrett Thiessen, the 18-year-old Prince George product who had been learning life on the wing, was moved back to his natural blueline position to help calm an unsettled defence.
Import winger Jan Kupec, 17, who had been out six games with a bad shoulder, returned Tuesday. Defenceman Trevor Bauer, a 17-year-old freshman, sat out his fourth game with a right-leg charleyhorse, as did Dale Hunt, out a month with broken fingers on his left hand.
The Cougars are back on ice tonight against the Raiders, then finish the trip with stops in Regina (Friday) and Swift Current (Saturday). The next home action is Oct. 26-27 when the Chilliwack Bruins trek north.
n Defenceman Jesse Dudas, a 19-year-old draft choice of the Columbus Blue Jackets, became the first Cougar to be suspended this season when the league made him sit out Tuesday’s game.
Dudas was given the one-game punishment for his late-game charging major and game misconduct in Saturday’s 6-2 loss in Moose Jaw. Dudas has two points, 15 penalty minutes and is minus-nine in eight games this season.
That wasn’t the only WHL discipline handed down this week. Red Deer Rebels forward J.D. Watt was given six games for a hit to the head on Saskatoon defenceman Teigan Zahn last weekend, a hit that left Zahn with a concussion. As well, Spokane’s Curtis Kelner earned two games off for his actions in a weekend game against Portland, and Regina’s Colten Teubert will sit two contests for his hit on Moose Jaw’s Riley Holzapfel on Sunday
Cougars loving road life
(Sports) Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 22:56 PST
JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
The Prince George Cougars said an early-season trip would help the bonding process -- on and off the ice. With two wins in three games so far, it’s hard not to agree.
The Cats put themselves within one win of guaranteeing an admirable .500 record on the six-game trip with a 3-1 triumph Tuesday over the Saskatoon Blades.
The Cougars are 2-1 on the trip, improving to 3-7-0-0 overall, and those on the inside of the bus are watching things come together. The Blades (3-5-1-0), meanwhile, start a five-game western swing Friday in Spokane and are headed in the opposite direction.
“Part of it is getting out and getting the guys together, but more than that we’re a month into things here and guys are starting to get more comfortable with our systems,” said head coach Drew Schoneck.
“We’re getting better reads, being in better position, and with that comes better results. The biggest difference tonight was special teams -- they scored a power-play goal early, but we really shut them down from there and our power play capitalized when we needed it most.”
The Cougars, now 2-2 in road games this season, were 2-9 on the power play and outshot the Blades 33-31, including 19-7 in the second period.
“Prince George outworked us... give them credit,” Blades coach Lorne Molleken told the StarPhoenix.
Veteran Real Cyr got the call in goal for the Cougars, and was victimized early when Walker Wintoneak converted on a power play with 2:43 gone in the game and Cougars winger Morgan MacLean serving a charging penalty.
But the Cougars turned a string of Blades minor penalties into the tying goal -- and could’ve done even more damage if they’d been able to take advantage of the second of two five-on-three chances. On the first opportunity, Dana Tyrell was the beneficiary of a dandy pass from captain Greg Gardner late in the first period, connecting to knot the score at 1-1.
The Cougars increased that to a 3-1 advantage after 40 minutes on goals by Alex Poulter, his fourth, and newcomer MacLean, who used his big shot to beat Blades goaltender Braden Holtby high for Prince George’s second power-play goal.
Neither team scored in the third. Cyr finished with 30 saves in his first action on the road trip, picking up his second victory of the season. He was the first star of the game, dropping his goals-against average to 5.13 in the process, and securing the nod tonight in Prince Albert where he’ll play his final WHL game in front of family and friends.
“He certainly earned that -- with our goalies, we’re going to run with a ‘win and you’re in’ program,” said Schoneck.
“We were victimized by a bit of a bad start, they were up on us 7-0 in shots, and he really stemmed the tide for us. He made some nice saves then, and also in the third when they got some power plays and he really controlled his rebounds.
“But the important part was once our guys got our legs underneath them and started pressuring them we took control of the hockey game.”
Garrett Thiessen, the 18-year-old Prince George product who had been learning life on the wing, was moved back to his natural blueline position to help calm an unsettled defence.
Import winger Jan Kupec, 17, who had been out six games with a bad shoulder, returned Tuesday. Defenceman Trevor Bauer, a 17-year-old freshman, sat out his fourth game with a right-leg charleyhorse, as did Dale Hunt, out a month with broken fingers on his left hand.
The Cougars are back on ice tonight against the Raiders, then finish the trip with stops in Regina (Friday) and Swift Current (Saturday). The next home action is Oct. 26-27 when the Chilliwack Bruins trek north.
n Defenceman Jesse Dudas, a 19-year-old draft choice of the Columbus Blue Jackets, became the first Cougar to be suspended this season when the league made him sit out Tuesday’s game.
Dudas was given the one-game punishment for his late-game charging major and game misconduct in Saturday’s 6-2 loss in Moose Jaw. Dudas has two points, 15 penalty minutes and is minus-nine in eight games this season.
That wasn’t the only WHL discipline handed down this week. Red Deer Rebels forward J.D. Watt was given six games for a hit to the head on Saskatoon defenceman Teigan Zahn last weekend, a hit that left Zahn with a concussion. As well, Spokane’s Curtis Kelner earned two games off for his actions in a weekend game against Portland, and Regina’s Colten Teubert will sit two contests for his hit on Moose Jaw’s Riley Holzapfel on Sunday