Scoring Dries up in 5-0 Loss
April 15, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL) - Prince George Cougars News Release
Prince George Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier vs. the Kamloops Blazers
(Prince George Cougars, Credit: Allen Douglas)
Kamloops, BC- The Prince George Cougars had their two-game win streak come to end Wednesday, after a 5-0 loss to the Kamloops Blazers at the Sandman Centre.
Josh Pillar scored twice and finished with three points to lead the Blazers (7-1-0-0) who won their third-straight. Daylan Kuefler, Inaki Baragano, and Caeden Bankier also scored for the Blazers. Dylan Garand only had to make 16 saves for his first shutout of the season.
It was a long night for Prince George, as the Blazers outshot the Cougars 40-16, including 20-2 in the third period. Wednesday marked the second time in eight games the Cougars were held off the scoresheet.
Cougars' General Manger & Head Coach, Mark Lamb had a frank assessment, "We weren't ready to play and we didn't compete. Simple as that."
The Cougars were outshot 8-1 and down 1-0 in the first 10 minutes of the first period. Pillar opened the scoring for the Blazers on the power-play at 8:06. The score remained 1-0 late into the second period, before Kuefler doubled the Blazers lead with 25-seconds left in the frame.
Kamloops broke the game wide open in the third, scoring twice in the first five-minutes to pull away. Baragano made it 3-0 Kamloops at 3:16 and then two and a half minutes later it was Pillar scoring his second of the game to put the Blazers up by four. Bankier put the finishing touches on the win with his goal at 14:52.
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier was the one bright spot for the Cougars, as the veteran netminder made 35 saves and battled right to the end.
GAME SUMMARY
Scoring
Cougars- No Scoring Blazers- Pillar (2), Kuefler, Baragano, Bankier
Goaltending
Cougars- Taylor Gauthier, 60:00, 35 saves, 40 shots Blazers- Dylan Garand, 60:00, 16 saves, 16 shots
Power-Play
Cougars- 0/3 Blazers- 2/6
Shots:
Cougars: 16 Blazers: 40
Three Stars: 1) Josh Pillar 2) Daylan Kuefler 3) Dylan Garand
Game Notes: The Cougars are winless in three games against the Blazers and have been outscored 16-5 in the season series. The Blazers' Caeden Bankier now has six points (3-3-6) in three games against the Cougars. The Cougars' 16 shots were their second-lowest output on the season. They had season-low 14 shots against the Vancouver Giants on April 4th.
Next Game: Friday, April 16th at the Victoria Royals (Kelowna). Fans can listen to the game on 94-3 The GOAT, or they can watch on CHL TV.
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