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Sput
11-08-2006, 02:29 AM
From www.princegeorgecitizen.com

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Cats earn much-needed victory
by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor

It was business-like, it was clear-cut, it was the product of hard work.

It was also a relief.

The Prince George Cougars, lambasted for their poor work ethic this season to the point that it cost two coaches their jobs last week, outworked the Red Deer Rebels in every square inch of the blotchy, mushy CN Centre ice on Tuesday and walked away with a building-block 3-0 victory.

“I’m very happy with the boys because they brought the work ethic we’ve been talking about, and did it all night,” said interim Cougars head coach Dallas Thompson, who got his first win of the season in front of an announced crowd of 2,424 – the smallest since the team moved out of the Coliseum and into the Multiplex/CN Centre in 1995.

“They shot the puck, went to the net and did some little things to end up on the right side. The players have been good through all this and they’ve worked hard.”

Thompson is 1-2-0-0 since taking over from the fired Mike Vandekamp and Stew Malgunas, who were jettisoned last Thursday. Brent Arsenault is helping on the bench, and may also be there Friday when Drew Schoneck, hired Tuesday with the title of associate head coach, serves as head coach when the Cats play the Kelowna Rockets at CN Centre.

The Cougars, improved to 6-10-0-2 and two points removed from being tied for last place overall in the 21-team WHL, beat a Rebels team (12-5-2-1) that is no slouch, the only squad to top the Vancouver Giants in regulation time this season.

There was little doubt Tuesday which team was hungrier. If the Cougars deserved to be punished when they didn’t work, then following the Red Deer game they deserved a big pat on the back.

“They wanted it more than we did, and we came out flat,” said Red Deer assistant coach Dallas Gaume.

“We never got going at all, but give them credit because they deserved to win and played a lot better than we did. It was their first home game since they made some changes and we knew they’d play hard. We didn’t respond.”

The Cats emerged with an energy not seen at CN Centre since opening night, and feasted on it. Overage centre Brett Robertson, who has waffled offensively since the first week of the season, broke down the left side and fired a shot through Red Deer goaltender James Reimer. It marked just the sixth time in 18 games the Cougars had opened the scoring.

“We talked about scoring the first goal the last three games, and tonight we got it,” said Thompson, whose team is 5-0-0-1 when tallying first.

In the second period, Prince George goals 29 seconds apart created a three-goal cushion and chased Reimer to the bench. He was replaced by Morgan Clark, the 16-year-old Texan who couldn’t be much further from home. Jesse Dudas, with his first as a Cougar, and Devin Setoguchi, arguably the best Prince George player all night, did the damage.

“I think I’ve only beaten Red Deer twice in my whole career, this was the second one,” said Setoguchi, acquired from Saskatoon last month.

“That team is known for working hard, and we outworked them. It’s something we can build on. The last couple games we’ve got nearly 40 shots, so we know the work ethic and the shots are there.”

There were ex-teammates all over the ice — Mike Berube for the Rebels, Vladimir Mihalik and Jared Walker for the Cougars. Walker earned an assist on Setoguchi’s goal, and Mihalik set up Robertson and then engaged in a second-period scrap with former blueline partner Pierre-Paul Lamoureux.

Cougars goaltender Real Cyr, who has taken a lot of heat for the slow start, stopped 24 shots for his second shutout of the season and franchise-record ninth of his career. Cyr had been tied in that department with Scott Bowles, now with Owen Sound of the OHL.

“We bounced back well after losing those two on the road trip, but the guys limited their chances and made it easy for me,” said Cyr, who did not know he was poised to set the record.

“I don’t see myself as a big shutout guy, but when you get them it’s a bonus.”

Martin Hanzal, who came in as the league’s top scorer with 31 points, looked more like a Cougars import pick than a first-round NHL draft choice. Kirill Starkov, his winger, was the better of the two, but neither mustered much offence.

“For Hanzal, that was probably the worst game he’s played since we got him,” said Gaume.

There was a dollop of bad news for the Cougars with Ty Wishart leaving the game early in the second period with a right leg injury. Wishart did not return, and Thompson said the defenceman has a pulled groin.

“The ice conditions aren’t the greatest out there, but we’re not going to blame it on that,” said Thompson.

KITTY LITTER: The Cougars host Kelowna this weekend, Friday and Saturday at CN Centre... Prab Rai missed his first game with a separated shoulder. He’s expected to be out two weeks. Dan Gendur’s ankle injury has now cost him 15 games.

Sput
11-08-2006, 02:38 AM
Wow. Full marks for the game tonight. Too bad I had to work. :( Even our brutal PBP guy made this game sound like a good one. Lots of energy. Outworking Red Deer, which doesn't happen to often, and taking advantage of their chances. Good to see some teammate support for a change. Cyr gets run over and Redden jumps in and sticks up for his goalie, like someone HAS to do. First time in a loooong time there's been a few scraps in the CNCenter. Klym/Bettes, Redden/Pieper, and Mahalik/Lamoureux all went tonight. Who won I'm not sure as I didn't see the game.

Great to see Cyr break the shutout record tonight. Now Real leads all Cougar goaltenders in career shutouts with 9, and the season is still young. Not sure what happened to Wishart in the second (or late first), but left with leg injury of some kind.

Keep energy and drive like this going from this game on guys. For all reports THIS is the team that we've been waiting to see all year.

smileyjones
11-08-2006, 08:14 AM
I'm out of town working. I guess I have to look for the positives and I missed the beating from Brandon, so easy come easy go.

Nice to hear a good effort for a change. Tells me that even if Westblom is hot if they can put up 40 shots they should be able to pop a couple and win a low scoring affair this weekend. The offence is not yet as advertised, that's OK as long as they play a high energy game.

If they can keep this up I'll be happy.

PS - they gotta get White in some games. I look for him to start one this weekend.

Sput
11-08-2006, 05:54 PM
they gotta get White in some games. I look for him to start one this weekend.

I agree with ya there, but on the other hand these guys are sooo desparate to win a double header that I think Cyr will get both starts, barring of course Real not showing up ready for one of the games.

A game like last night's makes Dallas out to be some kind of genius, when it really was just a matter of time. Everyone knew that Mahalik and Dudas were going to find their stride, just a matter of time. They found it against Red Deer. Offense finally clicked, again it was just a matter of time before it came together. Combine a lot of this with the Rebels coming out flat and it makes Dallas seem like the Missing Link.