The two teams played each other nine time this season, but as Express Head Coach Barry Wolff explains, the playoffs are a whole new animal. “It’s for keeps now” Wolff says, “obviously the intensity is higher, nerves are more of a factor and the compete level is also higher.”
The series will start in Prince George with a pair of 7:00pm games on Tuesday, March 4th and Wednesday, March 5th. Games 3 and 4 will shift back to the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex on Friday, March 7th and Saturday, March 8th. Puck will drop at 7:00pm at both Express home games.
This best of 7 series will follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the potential 6th game of the series returning to Coquitlam on Tuesday, March 11th at 7:00pm.
With the way these two teams like to play each other, the Express bench boss believes that there is a good chance the series will go the distance. “I think if both teams stay healthy, its gonna be a battle and every game is going to be close”, Wolff predicts. The numbers would appear to agree, with four out of the nine games were separated by one goal and a fifth ended in a tie.
Check out Emad's full interview with Coach Wolff here: https://soundcloud.com/coquitlamexpress/express-playoff-preview-with
Fans of the Express have been fortunate to witness one of the best offensive teams in club history. The top line of Ryan Rosenthal, Corey Mackin, and Adam Rockwood have been a hand full for the opposition all year; however, the offence doesn’t stop there. Coquitlam's second line of Joey Santucci, Bo Pieper, and Cannon Pieper present just as big of a threat to opposing defences, making the Coquitlam Express a tough team to match up against.
On the other hand, Prince George posses one of the most complete rosters in the league, led by leading scorer Chad Staley who has committed to Alaska Fairbanks thanks to his 27 goals and 32 assists this season. Out of the back end, the Spruce King's arsenal contains a handful of offensive weapons, including Alaska-Anchorage recruit Christian Weidauer, who as a defensemen is 3rd in team scoring with 47 points. In goal, Burlington Ontatio native Alex Murray has also had a great year with a 23-10-3 record while holding a 2.45 GAA and .916 save %.
The playoffs create the best of rivalries and with both teams poised to begin long post season runs, fans can expect one entertaining series.
Anyone who signs up for their 2014/2015 season tickets by Thursday, March 6th, will receive a free ticket to Games 3 & 4 of the 1st Round.
All Express home games will be a "White Out". If you wear a white overshirt or jacket, you'll receive a special discount on admission to the game. "White Out" tickets will cost $10 for adults and $5 for everyone else. Regular season ticket prices will apply for all other admissions.
