A trip worth talking about
(Sports) Sunday, 21 October 2007, 23:22 PST
JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
Wanna help the Prince George Cougars play their best hockey?
Come to the next home game -- it’s this Friday, against Chilliwack -- and boo them mercilessly.
Heckle them. Bring your favourite trash-talk line -- clean ones only, please. Make the Cougars feel like the visitors.
Why? Well, it seems a fair conclusion to say this team plays much better in unfriendly territory. The latest proof came Saturday, when the Cougars pulled off a most unlikely comeback -- miraculous might be the word -- in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Swift Current Broncos.
The Cougars are above .500 on the road, 4-3 in their white jerseys. At home, in the black or red duds, the club is 1-5, tied with Red Deer for worst home winning percentage in the league. Forget billet homes, it could be time to put this club up in a hotel.
“We’ve gotten to a point where we’ve simplified our game,” said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck.
“Hopefully this road trip will have relaxed our guys into playing the same at home as we do on the road. It’s weird to say that -- usually you want to play the same on the road as you do at home. We’re cutting down on costly mistakes.
“Sometimes when you play as much at home to start the year as we did, the pressure is on to do too much or try and be something you’re not.”
The Cougars, who were thrashed 6-2 by the Broncos at CN Centre on Oct. 6, trailed Saturday’s rematch 4-1 after 40 minutes, but goals by Evan Fuller, Art Bidlevskii and Jordie Deagle forced overtime, then a shootout that was decided on Ty Wishart’s goal.
The Cats were 4-2 on their East swing, their only losses coming in the geographic centre of the division, the 70-kilometre stretch of the TransCanada that is home to Regina and Moose Jaw. Stops in Swift Current, Brandon, Saskatoon and Prince Albert yielded wins for the Cougars, who returned to Prince George around noon on Sunday brimming with confidence.
“The mood is excellent right now -- there aren’t many teams that can say they went on a swing like that and won four out of six, and realistically could’ve won five of them,” said Schoneck. “Things are coming together, and the guys are playing better as a team. Our older players are playing better for us, too.
“It didn’t look realistic for us to come back in that game, particularly when we started the third period killing a five-on-three for almost a whole two minutes -- Wishart and (Jesse) Dudas were in the box, so it left us with Kalvin Sagert and two rookies killing it off. We did a great job of killing it off, then Fuller got one. When (Bidlevskii) scored, they started to believe, then on Deagle’s goal their bench really sunk while ours picked up.”
Dana Tyrell had the other Cougars goal, that coming on a first period power play. Zack Smith, R.J. Larochelle, Spencer McAvoy and Justin Dowling replied for the Broncos. Cougars netminder Real Cyr then stuffed all three Swift Current players in the shootout to let Wishart’s marker stand up.
“Real settled down as the game went on and really shut the door in the third period and in the shootout,” said Schoneck. “He did what a No. 1 goalie should do.”
KITTY LITTER -- Chilliwack is here both Friday and Saturday, the start of a stretch that has six of nine games at CN Centre and a chance to slow the league’s second-worst goals-against rate (4.23 per game)... Bidlevskii’s goal, a short-handed marker, was his first in the WHL, and it was a one-time blast off an offensive zone faceoff. Fuller found the back of the net for the first time this season... Veteran D Chris Vanduynhoven was among the scratches Saturday... Assistant coach Wade Klippenstein was ejected in the second period for arguing with the officiating crew. Not wanting to risk a league fine, Schoneck declined comment other than to say there were numerous calls the coaches disagreed with, and it was a disputed icing whistle that gave Klippenstein the gate. “Wade had a disagreement with them, and he lost,” laughed Schoneck. The WHL web site listed part-time assistant coach Brent Arsenault as the offending party, but he wasn’t even on the trip... RW Dale Hunt will see a specialist today about the broken fingers on his left hand, and that should give the team a more defined timeline for his return. Hunt was leading the club in goals when he was injured in the first game of the trip... D Trevor Bauer did not play at all on the trip because of a charleyhorse... The Cats were given Sunday and today off to rest, with the next practice slated for Tuesday
Reverse Psychology?
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It's been many years since I have been a serious WHL fan so bear with me until I get my head back in the game.
