On the road again are the Coquitlam Express this weekend as they make their way over to Vancouver Island. Up first are the defenders of the large hockey stick, the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
First meeting of the season for these two teams, with last campaign’s season series going 3-1 in favor of Coquitlam. Cowichan has been up and down over the last few years, regularly finishing near the bottom of the table as well dealing with ownership transitions. However, that doesn’t discount what they can do if slept on. Indeed, October 30th of last year saw the Express fall 4-3 in overtime at the community centre in Cowichan.
The big question surrounding this weekend will be if it sparks a similar early season fire lighting like we witnessed last year after the team went to Powell River and took both contests. It could be a coin flip as the Express went 5-5 in road games on the island in 2022-2023, with the raucous island crowds making it difficult night in and night out.
1-2-1 through the first four isn’t the worst place to be for the Express as they have certainly dealt with some adversity in the first quarter dozen games. Getting a few more marks on the scoresheet will certainly help as the defense continues to find its footing. As we’ve witnessed though that defensive core certainly exemplifies leadership and heart on the ice. It’s only a matter of time before that translates into a continual shutdown affair.
Player to watch tonight is Drew Garzone, your Boston Pizza Player of the Month for September. Point a game player with 1G and 3A through the first 4 as he continues to impress in his second season with Coquitlam.
Tune in on FloHockey where Justis Doucet will have the call!
– Ian
