Cougars snap 13-game home losing streak against Portland

Mar 10, 2019 | 8:21 AM

It’s been 56 days since the Cougars won their last home game, but the Prince George Cougars have finally snapped their losing streak on home ice. The Cougars defeated the Portland Winterhawks 5-2 last night at the CN Centre.

The Cougars would get an early power-play chance 22 seconds into the game but they would fail to capitalize. Portland then had three power play chances of their own after three straight Cougar penalties but the penalty killing for the Cougars stood tall going 3/3 in the first period. 

The first period ended scoreless with the Cougars with the Cougars holding the lead in shots 19-11. Portland would open the scoring three minutes into the second period with Clay Hanus scoring his seventh of the year. The Cougars would tie it up five minutes with Austin Crossley burying his third of the year. Heading into the third it was 1-1 with the Cougars again outshooting Portland 17-12 in the second.

Vladislav Mikhalchuk’s 22nd of the year on the powerplay would give the Cougars the lead five minutes into the third. Connor Bowie’s third of the year gave the Cougars a two-goal lead before another power-play marker by Josh Maser stretched the lead to 4-1. Cross Hanas pulled the Winterhawks back within two but that’s as close as they would get. Maser added an empty-netter to give him 30 goals on the season.

There was no shortage of shots in the game as Taylor Gauthier stopped 37 of 39 for the win while Joel Hofer stopped 44 of 48 in the loss. Saturday night’s game was also the final mega 50/50 jackpot in partnership with United Way of Northern B.C with a jackpot in the $40,000 range.

The Cougars will now end the season with a home and home against the Kamloops Blazers next weekend with the final home game being on Saturday, March 16th.

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