Prince George 7 Kelowna 6
This is why the games are played. Anyone looking at the two-game set Tuesday and Wednesday at the Canalta Centra between the Prince George Cougars (22-33-4-4) and Kelowna Rockets (38-20-4-2), would have expected that Kelowna would take both games and strengthen their lead atop the B.C. Division.
I mean, the Cougars had the worse record in the Western Conference going in, had dropped three straight and had just lost games by 6-1 and 9-2 scores.
After surprising the Rockets Tuesday, 4-1, the Cougars beat a team stacked with offensive talent in a high-scoring affair 7-6.
Ilijah Colina scored twice and Jackson Leppard potted three points as the younger, Cougar team came back from a 4-1 deficit in the second, to win.
Colina, who came over the trade deadline from Portland scored the winning goal with 18 seconds left, on the power play. The former Portland Winterhawk, who had just three goals in 37 games with Portland, already has seven in only 21 games with the Cougars.
Kole Lind got the Rockets going with three straight goals in a span of just over 10 minutes in the first. Lind now has 35 goals on the season and he staked his rockets out to a quick three-goal lead.
Colina answered back before the first was over to make the deficit 3-1 after 20 for P.G.
Conner Bruggen-Cate made the hill steeper for the Cougars with his 18th this year, 6:37 into the second.
Then the Cougars got off the mat and got going. Aaron Boyd netted his 11th to cut the Rockets lead to two, then Brogan O’Brien notched his 12th to close out the second with Kelowna only up 4-3. P.G, out shot Kelowna 14-5 in the second and led in shots overall 23-21.
Jared Bethune netted his 21st 6:05 into the third to tie the score and then Erik Gardiner beat Cougars goalie Taylor Gauthier for the second straight night to put Kelowna back up on top, 5-4.
Austin Crossley then notched his third this year and second in as many game to tie the score yet again with 8:04 left in regulation.
Leppard then gave the Cougars the lead with his 14th this year, with 3:15 left.
Before P.G. could wrest both weekday games from the Rockets, Cal Foote tied the game back up with 3:26 left and this one seemed destined for overtime.
Then Lind, who had been the hero earlier, got a double-minor for high-sticking with 2:13 left and the Rockets were in danger of losing out on at least one, very important point.
Colina got the winner late and Kelowna passed up two chances to increase their lead on Victoria in the division, beyond the seven points it sits at now. Both teams have eight games left.
Taylor Gauthier got his second win in as many nights over Kelowna, by stopping 31 of 37. James Porter turned away 33 of 40 for Kelowna.
The Cougars, meanwhile have still not been eliminated from contention and sit 15 points back of Seattle for the final playoff spot, with nine games left.
The Rockets now head across the border for a game between division leaders with Everett on Friday. P.G. hosts Victoria on Friday.
