A couple of weekend wins give the Cougars a 4-point lead over the Winnipeg Thrashers with a game in hand and three games left in the regular season. The Winnipeg Bruins took the Cougars to overtime before Tyson Kozak potted the winner. Sunday afternoon Cody Gudnason had a 4-point afternoon to lead the Cougars to an 8-0 win over Interlake. Randy Cooke earned his 17th win of the year with his fourth shutout.
Cougars 5, Winnipeg Bruins 4
The Cougars jumped out to a three-goal lead. Rylan Gudnson opened the scoring from Cory King and Cody Gudnason. Austin Clyne hooked up with Callum Fortin for a power play goal, and Tyson Pringle found the net with King and Tanner Clyne setting him up. The Bruins got on the board in the last minute of the period.
The Bruins tied the game in the first ten minutes of the second as the teams played even, through the first two periods.
Pringle potted his second goal nine minutes in from Landon Roberts and Tanner Clyne. The Bruins evened the score with less than five minutes to go, to send it to overtime.
The Cougars started extra time on the power play and it was over early as Kozak hooked up with Braeden Lewis and King 48 seconds in. Caden Wilson turned aside 24 pucks for the win. Dylan Arnold turned aside 21 Cougar shots.
Cougars 8, Interlake 0
Cody Gudnason had his biggest game as a Cougar snipping three goals and setting up another for a 4-point afternoon. Randy Cooke earned his 17th win of the season and his fourth shutout with a 23-save performance.
Gudnason scored a pair of goals to open the scoring and another in the third for the hat trick. He also chipped in a helper for a 4-point afternoon.
The Cougars had a four-goal lead after the first, 5-0 after the second and 8-0 after the third as they peppered Josh Bond with 64 shots.
Callum Fortin netted a pair with singles going to Roberts, King and Pringle with his third goal of the weekend
The Cougars had a short bench with Hunter Wallace and Grady Lane at the Canada Games, and Hunter Andrew under the weather. Cody Shearer did not dress Sunday with an upper body injury.
The Cougars lost a fan last week when Remi Messner passed away on the 15th. The Cougars deepest sympathies go out to Mrs. Messner, Tanice, Rylan and Cody.
