Back home to the Train Station the Express go as tonight they host Game 3 of their opening round series. The Bulldogs and Coquitlam traded some of their best shots over the first two contests and the Dawg Pound was rocking throughout. Excitement is an understatement to see what the Express faithful can do in response.
Drew Garzone was on a revenge tour through Games 1 and 2. Four goals, two a match, tipped the scales in the Express’ favor on more than one occasion. If that stick stays as hot, then it forces Alberni to adapt their play when he is on the ice and hopefully opens up opportunities for some of the other sparkplugs who have been snakebitten.
If you remember back to December 16th, 2023, Garzone netted his first career BCHL hat trick and his career-high four-point night. Completed against none other than Alberni Valley.
On the other side of the offensive equation is Hayden Stavroff. The BCHL’s leading goal scorer in the regular season wasn’t as successful as he hoped to be through the opening games but he still managed three points and a single tally. His shot was looking dangerous despite not cresting the goal line more than once. Coquitlam will need to key in on his time and space in the zone. If he is allowed to freely get set up, the Express will likely pay for it.
As does often happen in the playoffs, benches can start to shorten up. Guys that are hot and making the difference in certain situations will be expected to perform at the highest level and as such will get more playing time. Important for the players that end up seeing their minutes shortened in certain stretches or situations is to not get discouraged. Finding motivation in the adversity and challenging themselves to be better is the attitude necessary to win a championship.
In a 1-1 series, all it can take is one guy with a chip on their shoulder to blow a game wide open.
One player who just might have a chip the size of a boulder heading into Game 3 is Alberni netminder Callum Tung. The veteran from Port Moody will be playing in front of friends and family coming over to the Train Station tonight and should he get the nod again for this one, that is a whole lot to play for. His numbers this season have been solid and if you look back at his junior career, he is no stranger to showing out in the postseason.
Back in the 2021-2022 campaign as a member of the Port Alberni Bombers in Junior B, he helped push his team to Game 7 against the 40-6 Campbell River Storm. Tung put up a .951 SV% and 2.49 GAA. Hopefully for the Express that version of him doesn’t wake up.
Coquitlam earned some impressive special-teams numbers while away in Alberni Valley. The powerplay is perhaps the most jarring at 42.86%, a far cry from the numbers they put forward through the regular season. Combine that with the 80% penalty kill and you have a recipe for winning hockey games. The Express cannot afford for the foot to come off the gas, especially with taking away the home-ice advantage through earning the split on the road. How the special teams play against Alberni at home will be crucial. The Poirier is a tighter rink than the Dawg Pound so the high-pressure penalty killers of the Bulldogs won’t have as far to go when closing out on the Express blueliners.
First 500 fans in the rink tonight get rally towels for the game! So be sure to get to the Train Station early and secure yours. We want signs, we want cheering, we want everything you can muster and then some. Playoff hockey is back at the Poirier!
Grab your tickets or tune in to the broadcast on FloHockey at 7pm.
– Ian Wilson
