It’s game day!
The Coquitlam Express are looking for redemption as they get set to hit the ice at Scotia Barn in their second meeting with the Surrey Eagles! Puck drop is at 7:30 pm.
The Express haven’t played in five nights, but are coming off of a big character win against the Powell River Kings. A game in which they came from behind on multiple occasions and managed to close out a thirteen-goal nail-biter.
As we touched on in our most recent Postgame Thoughts article, Sam Marit was the unsung hero of the game. Yes, he had two helpers in the contest, but his true heroics came in the form of a rally speech that he gave his team at a pivotal point in the hockey game when it seemed like the Kings might start to run away with it.
In such a strange and condensed season with no fans in the building, it’s moments like the aforementioned one that can bring a group together and propel good teams into greatness.
Additionally, Ryan Tattle chalked up a pair of goals and added a helper in that contest against the Kings and one can get the sense that this is the beginning of what will be a very offensive season for the young Port Moody product. He was buzzing and it seemed like every time his line was on the ice, good things happened for the Express. His chemistry with captain Danny Pearson seems to be growing each game and they’re finding each other quite frequently with cross-ice passes, creating ample one-timer opportunities.
The Express want to play a fast, high-tempo style of game and they were able to do that in their last game against the Kings. They really opened things up in the second frame and showed off their speed in transition. However, the Eagles completely stifled that in the first game of the season – a game that saw a decisive 5-1 victory for the birds. For tonight, it’ll be extremely important to find that quick transition game again early and to not get bogged down by the Eagles’ forecheck.
On the other side of the pond, the Eagles are coming into their fourth game of the season, following two games against the Kings. They trumped the Kings 5-4 last night, despite being absolutely dominated on the shot clock – the Eagles tallied a meager nine shots while giving up 34. The Eagles started extremely slow, putting up only one shot in both the first and second periods.
The Express should try to follow suit with early dominance and make the Eagles chase the game as much as possible. With that being said, expect that the Eagles’ room got quite an earful from their coaching staff last night due to their effort, and don’t be surprised if they come out of the gate flying tonight!
Get off the tracks – a train is coming through!
#AllAboard
