As if the Express didn’t have enough excitement after their 6-5 OT win Sunday afternoon, they decided to up the ante and came back down 4-0 against the Clippers. The kicker? The season leading five unanswered is no longer Coquitlam’s best offensive output. Seven unanswered tonight at Frank Crane Arena turned the tide for good as the Express rose from the depths and capsized their opponent.
The Clippers were far and above the better team of the opening frame. They wanted this game badly and it was evident by the way they got out and attacked from the first puck drop. An early pair of powerplays gave the home side the ammunition they needed to kickstart a fantastic first period. Chase Hull and Joel Plante cashed in for a 2-0 advantage six minutes in. Luke Lavery then sniped his third of the season to increase the lead and the Express called an early timeout to try and stop the bleeding. Nanaimo wasn’t done as after play resumed they got yet another when Coquitlam got caught puck watching down low. Connor DeTurris snuck in the back door and tapped home what could have been the backbreaker.
The second period wasn’t the same five goal outburst the Express managed on Sunday but it was still a solid example of what can happen when you dig in and don’t give up. Defence was the main improvement as Nanaimo were limited to only three shots. James Shannon was once again the man to jumpstart the offence as much like the Clippers, Coquitlam got their first with the special teams on the ice. The signature one timer from the left circle got the road team on the board and the rest was history. Joseph Odyniec absolutely labelled one upstairs, bar-down to cut the lead in half. And finally before the period was done, Liam Loughery scored his second of the season in much the same fashion as he got his first in Prince George. The shot from the point tipped off a defender on the way through and found a home in the back of the goal.
The momentum carried over into period three as Coquitlam kept the clamps on defensively and allowed that to dictate the flow of play. Sam Frandina broke through with a wrist shot from the blueline to tie the game followed by Jackson Krill and Sebastian Bradshaw combining on a 2-on-0 to take the lead for the first time. Things went from bad to worse for the Clippers when they bobbled the puck in their own zone and allowed it to pop out into the slot uncontested where Joseph Odyniec was waiting to pounce. His second of the game was a massive dagger. Last but certainly not least was Nick Wellenreiter showcasing his playmaking skills to set up Thomas Zocco for a one timer in the slot. Seven unanswered goals in yet another warning shot to the rest of the league of what the Coastal Conference #1 seed is capable of.
The Clippers added one late courtesy of Cole Lonsdale but it was too little too late with Coquitlam shutting down the closing opportunities and keeping the gas pedal to the floor. This game does further showcase that the Express are not a perfect team, they do have some faults still to clear out of the system. Over the last three games they have allowed 16 goals, which is not a recipe for winning hockey. To start the year they were a team that relied heavily on the defensive side of the equation but they have steadily built the attacking potency. Being good defensively should always still come first with the goalscoring being an excellent compliment.
Post game, Head Coach Jeff Wagner praised the team’s ability to stay in this game as opposed to packing up shop and quitting. He firmly believes that a plethora of the scoring success this team has seen in recent games is attributed to playing the right way. Simple plays to keep control of the puck and not cut corners will often yield amazing results. Case in point tonight was Cooper Wilson. The Birthday boy and third star against his former team set up Coquitlam’s second and third goals by embodying that philosophy and thus opening up chances for his teammates.
The season is still young and this team has faced a myriad of unique situations, but one thing remains the same. They keep finding ways to win.
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER – Joel Plante
MARINER BREWING THREE STARS
3rd – COQ – Cooper Wilson – 2A
2nd – COQ – Andrej Kovacevic – 3A
1st – COQ – Joseph Odyniec – 2G
– Ian Wilson
