The overtime loss gives the Cats a vital point in the standings, leaving them tied for the final playoff spot with the Spokane Chiefs, just behind Vancouver and Victoria
Overtime hasn’t been kind to the Prince George Cougars this season.
Desperate for a win to put them in a playoff position, the Cougars were denied the two points they had after Tuesday. The Cats only allowed one goal, but it was the only goal of the game, 1:02 into overtime, and it came off the stick of Kelowna Rockets captain Tyson Feist.
Feist found the net with his shot past goaltender Ty Young.
Young, 17, made 35 saves as the game’s first star and his stellar efforts in net for the Cougars earned them a vital point for their overtime loss. Young was also in goal in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Kamloops Blazers and also helped save a point in that game, making 41 saves.
Rockets goaltender Talyn Boyko stopped all 21 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season.
The win lifted the Rockets’ overtime record this season to 7-1. The Cougars are now 1-5 in overtime games.
Their only point left the Cougars tied with the Spokane Chiefs for the eighth and final spot in the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference playoffs. Prince George/Spokane are just one point behind the Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals, who rank sixth and seventh respectively in the conference.
The Cougars, Chiefs and Royals all have four games left in the season, while the Giants have six games left.
The Rockets (38-19-1-5) moved within four points of fourth-placed Seattle Thunderbirds. The Rockets, in their last five games, have a game in hand against Seattle in the race to determine who will have home-court advantage to open the WHL playoffs.
The Cougars and Rockets meet Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the CN Center.
The Cats brought in midget goaltender Madden Mulawka for Tuesday’s game. He replaced Tyler Brennan, who has an upper body injury. Brennan was on the bench as an emergency substitute on Sunday after suffering an injury last week. Mulawka was the Cougars’ fifth-round pick (100th overall) in the 2021 WHL Draft.