Jordy Bellerive hit his own jackpot on Friday, as the Lethbridge Hurricanes Captain scored a hat-trick in the Hurricanes’ 6-2 win over the Prince George Cougars, at the CN Centre.
On a night that the 50/50 jackpot ballooned to over $94,000, Bellerive cashed-in on the ice and former Cougar Brad Morrison scored and added an assist.
A season-high 5,138 fans jammed the CN Centre and they saw their home team battle to a 1-1 tie through the first period, before Lethbridge pulled away with a four-goal second period, as the Cougars dropped their third straight.
Josh Curtis did score both of the Cougars goals, getting his first two since December 30th. Taylor Gauthier started but was replaced by Isaiah DiLaura in the second period, after allowing four goals on 13-shots.
The Hurricanes opened the scoring five and a half minutes into the game, when Owen Blocker managed to squeeze his shot from the goal-line between Gauthier and the post.
Curtis got the Cougars back on even terms not long after, as he redirected Joel Lakusta’s point-shot past Hurricanes’ goaltender Logan Flodell at 8:14.
It remained tied 1-1 until the opening minutes of the second, as Bellerive scored his first of three on the night. Standing in the crease, Bellerive managed to deflect Igor Merezhko’s shot from the blue-line and past Gauthier at 1:46. Then, Brad Morrison added to the Hurricanes lead, taking the puck out of the corner, before putting it between his legs and over Gauthier at 4:08 making it 3-1.
25-seconds later, Jake Elmer rushed down the right-wing and forced his shot through Gauthier’s pads, as the visitors went up 4-1 four and a half minutes into the middle frame. That goal spelt the end of the night for Gauthier, who came out and was replaced by DiLaura.
Josh Curtis got the crowd back into late in the second, making it 4-2, as he and Joel Lakusta were at it again. Lakusta rushed the puck up ice, came down the left-wing, before throwing it across to Curtis, who went upstairs on Flodell at 14:46. However, the celebration was short lived.
On the next shift, with a delayed penalty coming against Prince George, Bellerive moved into the left-wing circle and fired through a crowd and over DiLaura’s glove, for his second of the night to make it 5-2; that goal coming just 34-seconds after the Curtis marker.
In the third, tempers flared near the end, as Austin Crossley and Brad Morrison engaged in a spirit scrap behind the Cougars net, with Crossley scoring the take down.
Bellerive got the hat-trick goal, late, as he fired the puck from the left-wing that went off the top of DiLaura’s trapper and in at 17:09
Final Score: 6-2 Hurricanes
Power-Plays: Cougars 0-5 Hurricanes 0-4
Shots: 28-24 Hurricanes
Three Stars: 1) Jordy Bellerive 2) Brad Morrison 3) Josh Curtis
The Cougars (17-23-4-3) finish their two-game set against the Hurricanes (22-19-4-0) tomorrow night at the CN Centre; face-off is 7 pm. Fans can get their tickets at the TicketsNorth box office at the CN Centre, or online at www.ticketsnorth.ca
-Prince George Cougars
