scamperdog
11-21-2005, 08:49 AM
Monday, November 21, 2005 www.princegeorgecitizen.com
Cats on seven-game slide
by JIM SWANSON Citizen Sports Editor
The Prince George Cougars power play has been doing enough damage to the team's chances recently, simpy by not scoring.
Allowing a shorthanded goal Sunday only made it worse.
The Cougars limp home today from a distastrous road trip that has the WHL club on a seven-game losing streak (five in regulation, two in shootouts). Ryan Russell had two goals for the Kootenay Ice on Sunday -- one with an extra skater, one while shorthanded, the latter the game-winner -- to lead the Ice to a 3-2 victory.
Irony of ironies, the result means Kootenay is not only in first in the B.C. Division, but is riding a seven-game winning streak.
The now-fifth-place Cougars, who were humbled 2-0 by the Hitmen in Calgary on Saturday, are nearing the mid point of a slippery stretch of games that has them playing 12 of 13 away from home. The road, it is clear, has not been kind.
The Cougars and head coach Mike Vandekamp, who was not available for comment after weekend games, is finding out how quickly WHL life can change from those heady October days when the Cougars fashioned their own six-game winning streak.
On Sunday, Eric Hunter had both goals for the Cougars, who got 23 saves from Scott Bowles. Ben Maxwell had the other Kootenay marker, while the Ice got 21 saves from rookie netminder Kris Lazaruk.
The last regulation-time win for the Cougars was 19 days ago, a 3-1 verdict at home against that same Ice club. Prince George once owned an oustanding road record, but that's slipped to 5-7-0-2 and the club has allowed the most goals in the B.C. Division (73). The road power play, once among the league's best, has plummeted to 15.7 per cent, while the overall success rate sits at 13.6.
In fact, special teams were a major benefit earlier in the year, but that has leveled off as the Cougars are averaging less than a power play goal per game through 26 outings (23 goals). The Cats have given up the same number of opposition power play goals.
It was Saturday's game, one night after a 4-3 shootout loss in Red Deer, that brought the most concern as the Cats were outshot 18-2 in the final period and 36-13 overall, never really pressuring ex-Prince George netminder Justin Pogge. Fredrik Pettersson and Brett Sonne had the Calgary goals, while Pogge faced just 13 shots in recording his fifth shutout of the season, a new Hitmen record. Bowles, traded as part of the Pogge package this past January, made 34 saves, bailing out his teammates much of the night.
The Cougars have a few days to ponder their plight before playing host to Kamloops on Saturday. Following that, it's back on the road for dates in Kamloops (twice), Kelowna, Everett and Vancouver -- important divisional contests.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cats on seven-game slide
by JIM SWANSON Citizen Sports Editor
The Prince George Cougars power play has been doing enough damage to the team's chances recently, simpy by not scoring.
Allowing a shorthanded goal Sunday only made it worse.
The Cougars limp home today from a distastrous road trip that has the WHL club on a seven-game losing streak (five in regulation, two in shootouts). Ryan Russell had two goals for the Kootenay Ice on Sunday -- one with an extra skater, one while shorthanded, the latter the game-winner -- to lead the Ice to a 3-2 victory.
Irony of ironies, the result means Kootenay is not only in first in the B.C. Division, but is riding a seven-game winning streak.
The now-fifth-place Cougars, who were humbled 2-0 by the Hitmen in Calgary on Saturday, are nearing the mid point of a slippery stretch of games that has them playing 12 of 13 away from home. The road, it is clear, has not been kind.
The Cougars and head coach Mike Vandekamp, who was not available for comment after weekend games, is finding out how quickly WHL life can change from those heady October days when the Cougars fashioned their own six-game winning streak.
On Sunday, Eric Hunter had both goals for the Cougars, who got 23 saves from Scott Bowles. Ben Maxwell had the other Kootenay marker, while the Ice got 21 saves from rookie netminder Kris Lazaruk.
The last regulation-time win for the Cougars was 19 days ago, a 3-1 verdict at home against that same Ice club. Prince George once owned an oustanding road record, but that's slipped to 5-7-0-2 and the club has allowed the most goals in the B.C. Division (73). The road power play, once among the league's best, has plummeted to 15.7 per cent, while the overall success rate sits at 13.6.
In fact, special teams were a major benefit earlier in the year, but that has leveled off as the Cougars are averaging less than a power play goal per game through 26 outings (23 goals). The Cats have given up the same number of opposition power play goals.
It was Saturday's game, one night after a 4-3 shootout loss in Red Deer, that brought the most concern as the Cats were outshot 18-2 in the final period and 36-13 overall, never really pressuring ex-Prince George netminder Justin Pogge. Fredrik Pettersson and Brett Sonne had the Calgary goals, while Pogge faced just 13 shots in recording his fifth shutout of the season, a new Hitmen record. Bowles, traded as part of the Pogge package this past January, made 34 saves, bailing out his teammates much of the night.
The Cougars have a few days to ponder their plight before playing host to Kamloops on Saturday. Following that, it's back on the road for dates in Kamloops (twice), Kelowna, Everett and Vancouver -- important divisional contests.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------