The Coquitlam Express and the Chilliwack Chiefs are set to play out the fifth game of their opening-round playoff series! Puck drop is at 7:00pm in Chilliwack.
The Statistics
This series is currently knotted up at two with both teams getting the split on the road. The Express are coming off of a huge 4-2 victory at the Train Station back on the 5th.
Ryan Tattle put on an absolute show as he buried his first, second and third goals of the postseason. He now has three goals and a helper through four contests.
Carter Woodside has been nothing short of stellar in this series. He’s coming off of a 53-save victory in which he made countless game-altering saves. In his last three outings, he’s posted a remarkable .948 SV% and 2.0 GAA.
The Express have been playing disciplined hockey in this series – in three of the four games, they’ve killed two-or-fewer penalties. This is a real factor, especially when you consider the fact that the Chiefs have killed an average of 4.5 penalties per game so far in this series. In turn, the Chiefs have surrendered four powerplay goals against – good enough for 30.7% of the Express goals.
Keys to Victory
The Express cannot let the Chiefs chalk up 55 shots again in this series – it’s pretty rare that you get outshot by more than a 2:1 ratio and still manage to double-up your opponent on the scoreboard. As good as Woodside is playing, this is not a recipe for success at this level.
With Tattle coming to life in this series, it adds another layer of attack that the Express can throw at the Chiefs. The importance of the utilization of scoring depth in the playoffs can’t be understated. The Express have gotten contributions offensively from some unlikely sources thus far in the playoffs and it’s kept this train on track. If the top-end guys like Tattle, alongside the secondary scoring pieces, can collectively chip in offensively, this team will be in a very good place.
Keep the disciplined play and keep capitalizing on the Chiefs’ lack thereof. The Express’ powerplay has been a factor in this series and it needs to continue to be as we head into crunch time.
The Express have done a great job of standing up to the much larger Chiefs in the physicality department. They’ve shown the Chiefs that they’re not backing down and that they’re here to fight for every inch. Keeping this mentality moving forward is vital.
The Lineup
No changes to the lineup to report.
Woodside will get the Express’ net once again as he looks to continue his phenomenal postseason.
#AllAboard | #WeBelieve
