The Coquitlam Express were in Chilliwack on Saturday night to take on the Chiefs and it did not go as planned as the Express fell short 7-2 in this one.
The first period didn’t quite go as planned for the Express as they surrendered four goals. The Chiefs did a great job of attacking strongly in transition and exploiting the open ice that the Express were providing. On the positive side of things, the Express didn’t take a penalty in the first period, which was a drastic switch from Friday night’s tilt with the Surrey Eagles. Also, Emmett McHardy found his first BCHL goal for the Express late in the period. The Express went into the first intermission down 4-1 looking to carry over some late first-period momentum into the second frame.
In the middle period, the Express put on a much better display of hockey and were noticeably the better team. They did a much better job of maintaining possession of the puck and generating scoring chances in this period. Ultimately, they played the style of hockey that has garnered them so much success in November – they forechecked hard, played with pace, and clogged up the neutral zone to suppress Chilliwack’s high-flying offence. Ryan Tattle scored a gorgeous goal for the Express in the period, but the Chiefs also added a marker of their own, so the teams went into the break with another three-goal split at 5-2.
The game got away from the Express in the third period as they lost their cools and began a seemingly endless parade to the penalty box for the majority of the frame. The Chiefs controlled the entire period and added a pair of additional goals while outshooting the Express 17-1 in the process.
Overall, it was a very tough night in Chilliwack for the Express. They’ll look to bounce back in their next outing on December 1st as they are once again in Chilliwack to clash with the Chiefs.
#AllAboard | #WeAreAllExpress
