It’s like a scene from Pulp Fiction as the Express find themselves in familiar territory once again versus Chilliwack. Tonight’s contest will be out at the Coliseum as Coquitlam look for an impressive start to the long weekend.
The Chiefs and Express are coming off a weekend home-and-home set against one another that spoke volumes to how these teams have elevated their game in recent memory. The results were split down the middle with both sides picking up big wins on home ice respectively. Chilliwack retains the edge in how many points were salvaged from the weekend with three due to the shootout loss Friday and the regulation win they pulled out Saturday.
Friday night went the distance and then some with Coquitlam finding a way to dig deep and bounce back following a tough game on the road the weekend prior. Those are the moments and rebounds a team need to have as the season draws closer and closer to its conclusion.
Of further interest tonight is the hopeful debuts of two of the newest additions to the Express roster. We already got to see Patrick Reilly hit the ice last weekend and were witness to his savvy defensive presence on the back end. Now enter Jacob Bonkowski and David Brandes into the mix.
Bonkowksi wasn’t quite ready to step into action Friday night and then after the team’s shootout victory the lineup stayed the same for Saturday night in Chilliwack. The Richmond, BC product should add another dynamic two-way presence to the ice. He is no stranger to scoring against the Chiefs with six points across the eight games Surrey played against Chilliwack last season.
The newest addition to the lineup with a deal made on deadline day is David Brandes. Coming over from the Blackfalds Bulldogs, the Toronto local is another defensive specialist with a knack for chipping in offensively. He is committed to Sacred Heart alongside new teammate Michael Rubin so to see an early glimpse into the future college D-pairing will be exciting.
In order to acquire Brandes the Express had to give up Ben Feenan and Matheson Mason. Feenan was a solid serviceable defender during his time in Coquitlam and had some very quality minutes alongside Patrick Reilly last weekend versus Chilliwack. Mason was a new addition over the winter break that just didn’t pan out. He was touted as an offensive threat and goal scoring contributor but was unfortunately unable to find that portion of his game while in an Express jersey. To his credit, his defensive play showed signs of improvement as he worked to find other ways to contribute in lieu of scoring.
As the Express continue to get healthy and incorporate new pieces into their rotation, watch out for the pace to pick up. You can see with guys like Grady Lenton, Cale Colwell and Zach Bansley competing night in and night out to crack the lineup and stay in, everyone is going to have to earn their keep. Having that level of competition in the locker room is a great way to keep players honest and build a sense of urgency towards keeping your craft at its sharpest.
The blueline is going to be especially competitive. With Brandes and Reilly joining the team and Sam Frandina still set to return to the lineup from injury, there is no good answer for who to bench on any given night. It’s a very good problem to have heading for the post season in a month and a half’s time.
Tune in on FloHockey for the broadcast or make your way down Highway 1 to the Coliseum for a 7PM PST puck drop.
– Ian Wilson
