You can’t have Prince George-Portland without drama.
The Prince George Cougars erased a three-goal deficit in the third period to claim game one of the first round of the WHL Playoffs 7-6 in overtime over the Winterhawks.
The Cougars first period was dreadful, they were hemmed in their own zone for the majority of the opening frame, and couldn’t a muster a shot on net for the first nine minutes.
“We didn’t like our start at all, we were nerved, we were tight, right through the whole group,” said Cougars Head Coach and GM Mark Lamb.
Defensively, it wasn’t much better for the Cougars, as Josh Ravensbergen allowed a goal on the first shot he faced. He eventually got the hook in the second period after allowing four goals on 19 shots.
ZAKRESKI STRIKES FIRST 👊 pic.twitter.com/XWm49YJ0ED
— x – Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) March 29, 2025
Cooper Michaluk was stellar in relief, stopping 23 of the 25 shots he faced.
Borya Valis opened the scoring for the Cougars in the late in the first, but Josh Zakreski’s second of the game put the Winterhawks back on top by two.
Valis scores his first of the playoffs in STYLE.@CarlsJrCA | @MapleLeafs https://t.co/UHmsfudE3P pic.twitter.com/ZaIS8YxWU6
— x – Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) March 29, 2025
The Cougars found themselves in penalty trouble for a good chunk of the second period.
Diego Buttazoni extended the Portland lead back to three while on the powerplay, after Patrick Sopiarz took a roughing penalty far behind the play.
jump up, jump up, and get down🎶 pic.twitter.com/iqksTJIPFz
— x – Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) March 29, 2025
Aside from the one powerplay goal, the Cougars penalty kill held strong, including on a 5-on-3 they successfully killed off, shifting momentum back to the Cats.
“5-on-3’s, they’re a funny thing, if we don’t kill that one off the game’s over,” Lamb said.
“If you don’t score on your 5-on-3’s it’s a big momentum switch for the team and that happened to us.”
That momentum carried into the third with an excellent first shift from the line of Aiden Foster, Jett Lajoie and Matteo Danis. Riley Heidt scored on the next shift to bring the Cats back within two.
Don’t go anywhere! Heidt brings the whiteout to life!@mnwild | @CarlsJrCA https://t.co/8K1uAo75Yz pic.twitter.com/yTWlNFGeWh
— x – Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) March 29, 2025
“We switched around some lines, tried to look for something and we found something that clicked,” Lamb said.
Later in the frame, Terik Parascak and Matteo Danis scored in quick succession to tie the game.
TERIK PARASCAK BRINGS THIS PLACE TO LIFE@Capitals | @CarlsJrCA https://t.co/6n712YdKTi pic.twitter.com/AsqKsDUuZH
— x – Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) March 29, 2025
MATTEO DANIS TIES THE GAME WITH OUR THIRD GOAL OF THE PERIOD!@CarlsJrCA https://t.co/hOduCh3QEU pic.twitter.com/XuVYMTr3zg
— x – Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) March 29, 2025
The 5,610 fans at the CN Centre exploded when Parascak’s attempt to centre the puck found Bauer Dumanski, who fired a point blast past Å tÄ›beták to give the Cougars their first lead of the night.
BIG. GAME. BAUER.
COUGS HAVE THE LEAD FOR THE FIRST TIME TONIGHT!!@CarlsJrCA https://t.co/qqC8hhSvB1 pic.twitter.com/1UqALbEqOu
— x – Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) March 29, 2025
Lamb said the team was a lot looser in the third.
“Guys were just way too tight, you just gotta go play,” he said.
“They care, they want it so bad, but you’re learning all the time.”
A regulation win wasn’t in the card for the Cougars, as Joel Plante tied the game, forcing overtime.
HAWKS BOUNCE BACK! pic.twitter.com/buGYm04e0V
— x – Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) March 29, 2025
 The Cougars won in overtime on a goal that will be talked about for quite some time.
Terik Parascak’s shot crossed the goal line after the net was knocked of the net by Å tÄ›beták. The official initially called no goal, but after review, it was called a good goal. The refs took a second look and confirmed it was a goal.
THAT PUCK IS IN AND THIS GAME IS OVER@Capitals | @CarlsJrCA https://t.co/op825SIp8J pic.twitter.com/Ovpv35H4a6
— x – Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) March 29, 2025
Under WHL Rule 25.2 (Page 29):
A goal will be awarded when an attacking player, in the act of shooting the puck into the goal (between the normal position of the posts and completely across the goal A goal will be awarded when an attacking player, in the act of shooting the puck into the goal (between the normal position of the posts and completely across the goal.
“It was a good off the rush, good neutral zone, Riche gave me a nice little pass, a little give and go ad just kind of took it to the net and made a little skill play in front and I found a balance,” Parascak said.
The box score is here.
“We know we can win games now in the playoffs and we try to keep driving through and have no quit,” Parascak said.
“We got game one, now we got to go get game two,” Lamd said.
“Gives the guys a little confidence, gets [Portland] mad, you know they’ll be ready.
Puck drop for game two is at 6:00 pm Saturday.
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