Walking into the locker room after tonight’s contest the smiles were wide. Whenever the first game of a new season rolls around there are many emotions, and how you channel those emotions into your play speaks volumes. Whatever was left over clearly poured out as everyone rallied around their teammates, and especially their coach. A look into the coaches’ room reveals Jeff Wagner holding a puck inscribed with his first career BCHL regular season win as head coach.
And so Wags tells me about a night where everyone came together and worked their tails off for the full 60 minutes. That tonight the standard was set for how the Express are to conduct themselves on the ice. How sticking to your structure and going till the jobs done will win you hockey games.
Final score from the Train Station tonight went 3-1, a mirror of last Saturday’s exhibition finale as Coquitlam exacted revenge on the Chiefs.
The opening 20 minutes were anyone’s game. Both Chilliwack and Coquitlam exchanged blows both literally and figuratively enroute to an entertaining first frame. The Express managed the lion’s share of puck possession for the period but not without the Chiefs generating some offence of their own. From the onset it was clear Coquitlam had the commitment to doing the tough duties. There were no shifts off. The offensive zone time was reaped from a relentless forecheck and smart decisions with the biscuit.
In the second period, the Chiefs battled back and stole away a portion of the momentum. Eric Young would do his best work in this frame by far with 19 saves overall including a few top-notch denials sliding across the crease and stopping in tight one-time opportunities. The opening goal of the game came at the 13:41 mark as a result of the aforementioned hard work and determination. Coquitlam were no stranger to the penalty box tonight. They awarded Chilliwack with four powerplays but the penalty kill was up to the challenge. James Shannon pressured the Chiefs’ puck carrier and gained possession right before tapping it ahead to a streaking Trip Pendy. The second year forward from Far Hills, New Jersey took the opportunity and ran with it. Last season he played 23 games for the Trail Smoke Eaters but hadn’t scored his first career goal. That changed tonight. It’s not every day your first BCHL goal is scored shorthanded. A sweet wrist shot high short-side would light the lamp and lit the fire Coquitlam needed to push even harder.
Period three started with Chilliwack digging deep and drawing even within the first four minutes. Nico Grabas got hold of a one-timer in the slot that popped free from a board battle below the goal line. Eric Young tried to slide back in time after some contact with a Chilliwack player but to no avail. Nate Crema answered the Chiefs’ goal eight minutes later where another series of voracious forechecking yielded an opposing defence stuck deep in their own zone. With little energy left to react to the pass from down low to the waiting pride of North Vancouver, Crema blasted home the go-ahead goal. The dagger came from the Captain as Trip Pendy returned the favour to James Shannon, generating a turnover during the Chilliwack extra attacker attempt. He stole the puck and played it well for the Captain to put the finishing touches on an exceptional hockey game.
If this level of work ethic and commitment to defence continues for the Express, then they will frequent the win column. This was an exciting team to watch and Coquitlam fans are going to love seeing their team out hustle, out work, and outlast their opponents this season.
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER – Nate Crema
3 STARS
3rd – COQ – James Shannon – 1G 1A
2nd – COQ – Eric Young – 34 Saves on 35 Shots
1st – COQ – Trip Pendy – Shorthanded Goal and 1A
BOXSCORE (Some errors to be corrected)
– Ian Wilson
