The Coquitlam Express hosted the visiting Powell River Kings at the Train Station on Saturday night in what was their final contest of 2021.
In our pregame article, we talked about the Express’ disciplinary issues ultimately costing them a hockey game on Friday night, and Saturday night started no better. In the first seven minutes of the hockey game, the Express took four penalties and gave the Kings two long looks at 5-on-3. The Express were obviously under siege for the entirety of the seven-minute stretch, but to their credit, they killed off all four attempts and actually started to swing momentum in their favour at 5-on-5. When it was all said and done, it was the Express who produced the most dangerous-looking chances in the period. However, the two teams would go to the room scoreless after 20.
The second period showcased a much stronger-looking Express team. They started the frame on the powerplay and managed to generate some much-needed momentum that allowed to draw a pair of additional penalties. On both of these powerplay looks, the Express converted, courtesy of Jayden Sison and Arlo Merritt. The Express were the much faster team in this period and they limited the Kings to almost no ice for the entirety of the 20 minutes. The pressure that they mounted was relentless and the Kings had no answer. They outshot the Kings 15-5 in the frame and played one of their best periods of the season. After 40 minutes of play, the Express found themselves up 2-0.
In the final 20 minutes, the Express picked up where they left off in the second. They outworked the Kings drastically and held them shotless for the first 12 minutes of the period. Along the way, the Express buried four additional goals, including two goals from Ray Hamlin, one of which was on the penalty kill. That would cap off the scoring as Connor MacKenzie went on to secure his second shutout of the season.
Prior to the game, we talked about the importance of winning the special teams battles and staying disciplined. Although the Express were not overly disciplined, giving the Kings seven powerplay looks, they did in fact dominate the special teams battles – the Express stopped all seven of the aforementioned Kings’ powerplays and also scored two powerplay goals of their own, on top of the previously mentioned shorthanded goal. Notably, the Express fired a season-high 49 shots on the net of the Kings.
After the Express killed off that seven-minute surge from the Kings to start the game, they took over the hockey game and dominated all facets. Those key penalty kills were the indisputable turning point.
The Express now head into the Winter Break and will not be in action until we roll into 2022.
#AllAboard | #WeAreAllExpress
