Coquitlam came into tonight’s contest trying to re-establish their identity. They had lost themselves a bit as of late, with the losses piling up in the New Year. Nothing brings a breath of fresh air like a 60-minute effort, come from behind, overtime win.
Hockey Talks night is special to many. It’s a night where something bigger than the sport is brought to the forefront. How fitting it is that a night so special had such a special ending.
The Capitals also were searching for something in this game. Coming off the 4-0 loss to the Eagles, Cowichan was reeling and feeling the pressure from the Powell River Kings to take over their 8th seed in the Coastal Conference.
The first period was a back-and-forth affair for both sides. A much better start for the Express than against Trail was just what the doctor ordered, with Coquitlam outshooting the Caps 19-11 through 20 minutes on the back of great skating and a solid forecheck. They couldn’t beat Butikis in the period but they built an amazing foundation for the rest of the game.
12 penalties were handed out in the first. The most crucial came at the very end as Michael Adamek took a holding call and then Luke Vardy followed it up with a pair of minors for head contact and unsportsmanlike conduct. Those would carry over to the second period and combine for an opening 5-on-3 powerplay.
To kick off the second frame, Cowichan notched their only goal of the contest off the stick off Luke Lavery. The Nanaimo product skated hard for an odd man rush and blistered a shot into the top corner of the goal. That shot couldn’t have been better as Manji left next to no daylight for Lavery to exploit. 1:21 into the period was when the Capitals goal came, and another was not seen until 18:29 into the third period.
The Express have had exceptional success with the extra attacker this season. Converting at an absurd rate when they pull the goaltender has been a topic of conversation both for its effectiveness, but also for the fact the Express want to need less use for it. A scramble ensued in front of Butikis that was ultimately sent home by Matthew Frost. The Boston College commit sent this game to overtime with ice pumping through his veins.
Once in the extra frame for the second night in a row, Coquitlam was not going to make the same mistake twice. Cowichan had some good opportunities, but the Express and Adam Manji kept them at bay long enough for the storybook conclusion.
The Capitals had an extended play in the offensive zone and once the play was blown dead, they decided to leave the same unit out on the ice. The Express went with fresh bodies and it made a world of difference. Drew Garzone poked the puck away from Dryden Kuramoto on the blueline and was off to the races.
Garzone accelerated away and there was no doubt the game was on his stick. A backhand forehand deke move later and the roof was no longer attached to the Train Station. His 17th of the season propelled Coquitlam to the win in magnificent fashion.
This was a complete team effort, front to back, top to bottom. The Express had speed when attacking the defence, were solid in their own end, and didn’t get frustrated when the goalscoring wasn’t coming their way until the very end. Often you might see individual efforts creep into a game when the score still reads zero for your own side, but the Express stuck together and supported one another to the final whistle.
Particular kudos go to the blueline in this game as all involved were stellar. Luke Vardy led the way with smart and physical play from start to finish. Ben Snyderman was fast and fantastic with the puck control. Michael Rubin was rocksteady and dishing in the offensive zone. Ben Feenan kept great care for the puck in the Express end. Michael Adamek was trucking anything that came near him. And last but not least Oliver Gabrielson had a great comeback game today, shutting down some key opportunities from the Caps.
You could see the dark cloud disappear as the players poured over the bench to celebrate the win in overtime but the hard work continues from here. Just because this game goes in the win doesn’t mean the job is done. It has only just begun.
The final game in their three-game weekend goes tomorrow afternoon, 4pm PST.
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER – Matthew Frost
MARINER BREWING 3 STARS
3rd – CWN – Luke Lavery – 1G
2nd – COQ – Adam Manji – 36 Saves on 37 Shots
1st – COQ – Drew Garzone – 1G 1A
– Ian Wilson
