The Coquitlam Express hosted the Langley Rivermen on Wednesday night and snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 3-0 shutout victory!
The first period of this hockey game was relatively back and forth, but it saw the Express outshoot the Rivermen 18-11 and generate the majority of the high quality chances in the frame. The key moment of the period was when Langley was given a five-minute major penalty for checking from behind with 3:24 remaining in the period. Arlo Merritt would score on the ensuing powerplay with just 1:19 remaining in the frame and that would be all of the scoring. The Express would carry over 1:36 of remaining powerplay time into the second frame.
The Express had themselves another strong period in the middle frame, as they continued to outwork their opponent and control the majority of the game’s flow. It felt like the Express were winning the races to every loose puck in this contest – their forecheck was relentless and the Rivermen struggled to find open ice. Ryan Tattle went down in the period following an apparent incidental knee-on-knee collision – he did not return to the game. The Express outshot the Rivermen 11-10 in the second period.
The third period was all Express as they went on to add another pair of goals and ultimately completely shut down the Rivermen, halting any sort of push that they were trying to mount. Ray Hamlin found the insurance marker with just 6:20 left and then Shane Lavelle put one into an empty net to seal the deal.
Connor Mackenzie was lights out in this one, turning away all 33 shots that he faced in the contest. He’s been playing phenomenal as of late, posting a .947 SV% over the last three games.
Additionally, the Express chalked up 40 shots for the third straight game. They also won the special teams battle as they only went to the penalty box once and scored a powerplay marker.
This was the best game the Express have played all season. They really focused on the details and played a defensively-minded game, deploying a trap for the majority of the contest, which got them the result that they’ve been searching for for weeks.
The Express are back in action on Friday when they visit the Merritt Centennials!
#AllAboard | #WeAreAllExpress
