Despite rallying from a 5-2 deficit in the third period and forcing overtime, the Prince George Cougars dropped their sixth consecutive game after a 6-5 overtime defeat to the Kamloops Blazers, Friday at the CN Centre.
The start was problematic for Prince George. The Blazers scored four times on 12 shots to go ahead 4-0 after 20 minutes. Shea Van Olm got it started, scoring in the slot just 95 seconds in. The Blazers went on to add three more in the period, as Ashton Ferster scored twice, and Daylan Kuefler added one on the power play. Tyler Brennan replaced starter Ty Young after the third Blazer goal.
Chase Wheatcroft got the Cougars’ first goal in the second on the power play. It was a pretty set-up from Riley Heidt and Koehn Ziemmer to find Wheatcroft in the slot. Just over three minutes later, Ross Stanley whacked in his first WHL goal to get Prince George within two. The Blazers called their timeout after the Stanley goal, and it ended up paying off. Dylan Sydor fired one by Tyler Brennan in the slot to regain the Blazers’ three-goal lead.
The Cougars got an early goal in the third from a Riley Heidt one-timer to make it a two-goal game again.
The Cougars got within one a few moments later with ‘AP’ defenceman Tyson Buczkowski shovelling in his first WHL goal in front of the goal to make it 5-4. In the final minutes of the third, the Cougars completed the comeback with Blake Eastman finding the back of the net to tie the game at five and force overtime.
In the extra frame, Kamloops was awarded a power play and Fraser Minten sealed the deal, sniping it over Tyler Brennan and in to give the Blazers a 6-5 win.