The Coquitlam Express are set to host the Langley Rivermen tonight at the Train Station! Puck drop is at 7:00pm.
The Express are coming off back-to-back losses to the Rivermen and have been outscored 11-1 in the process. Tonight marks a perfect opportunity for this Express group to get some much-needed revenge.
Currently only one point out of last place in the Coastal Division, the Express need a victory tonight to stay afloat this season. This is a tall order, considering the Rivermen are first in the Coastal with only one regulation loss to their name so far.
The Express will be sporting a slightly different-looking lineup tonight as Jayden Sison is being bumped up to the top line with Ray Hamlin and Arlo Merritt. With that change, Ryan Tattle is sliding down to skate alongside Kahlil Fontana and Shane Lavelle – this new-looking second line should prove to be dangerous with their speed, tenacity, and talent. Fontana’s puck-retrieval skills are unrivaled and they should work extremely nicely with the offensive gifts of Tattle and Lavelle.
A major factor in the Express’ most recent loss to the Rivermen was special teams. The Express hold the second-worst penalty kill in the league and they gave the Rivermen five attempts, who managed to score twice on the man advantage. On the flip side of that coin, the Express had seven looks, but only converted once for their lone goal of the contest. The Express’ powerplay has looked considerably better over the past couple of games, to be fair, but the execution just hasn’t quite been there. One gets the sense that this group is one or two good bounces away from really finding their rhythm.
Two players who are due for big games tonight are the aforementioned Tattle, and defender Matthew Campbell, who recently signed with Quinnipiac University. Campbell has the ability to control the play when he can skate with the puck and create open ice for his teammates. His physical play is always there, but his offensive game hasn’t quite been where it could be so far this season. For Tattle, his team-leading offensive numbers are not in question, but he could produce even more and really take over hockey games with his speed and offensive talent.
Connor MacKenzie gets the nod for the Express tonight. He’s played with a lot of emotion lately and should be very dialed in for this one.
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