BY COLE WALDIE
Prince George Cougars
KAMLOOPS – The Prince George Cougars got off to a picture-perfect start, setting the stage for a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night at the Sandman Centre.
The Cougars wasted no time, as Matteo Danis shoveled home his ninth of the season just 58 seconds in to give PG an early 1-0 lead. The Blazers responded at 4:26, but the Cats quickly regained control. Riley Heidt restored the lead at 9:30, and Patrick Sopiarz added another at 12:55, batting the puck out of mid-air to make it 3-1. Prince George carried that two-goal advantage into the first intermission.
Goaltender Josh Ravensbergen was sharp between the pipes, turning aside all 14 Kamloops shots in the opening frame. The Cougars pressed for more in the second period, but the score remained 3-1 heading into the final 20 minutes.
Kamloops made things interesting late, capitalizing on a power play at 13:42 of the third to pull within one. However, that was as close as they’d get, as the Cougars locked things down to secure their 30th win of the season.
With the victory, Prince George improves to 13-12-1-0 on the road. Up next, the Cougars return home for a showdown with the league-leading Everett Silvertips on Friday, February 14th, and Saturday, February 15th, at the CN Centre.