The Coquitlam Express hosted the Powell River Kings on Friday night and it had shades of their first meeting this season – a back-and-forth affair with plenty of goals to go around! Unfortunately, the Express didn’t get the results they were hoping for and drop this one 5-4 in overtime.
It was an undisciplined start to the game for the Express as they were forced to kill off two penalties in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game. Because of this, they really couldn’t get anything going until past the midway point of the period.
It was Tyler Schleppe who got things rolling with his second goal in two games, cashing in on a momentum surge from his squad – this was his first of two points in the game. The Express would take that 1-0 lead into the dressing room after 20.
The second period was less reserved and we saw the game opening up a little bit. Jaden Little, getting his first start of the season, was superb in between the pipes and, quite frankly, kept the Express in this game with some very timely big saves.
The third period was much more lively than the prior 40 minutes – five goals would end up being scored! The Kings managed to climb out of two-goal deficits, not once, but twice in the third period.
As we talked about pregame, Josh Kagan was a player that needed to be shut down – coming into this one, he had six goals in three games. The Express did just that for exactly 58 minutes, but it was Kagan who tied it up late at four with a seeing-eye wrist shot from the point.
Then, wouldn’t you know it, it was Kagan again just 16 seconds into the extra period who found some open ice and ended the contest.
The opportunities were there to put this one to bed, but you have to give credit to the Kings for not going away quietly. Moving forward, the Express will need to show more killer instinct in the later portions of these games. Especially against a Kings team with the offensive firepower that they have.
The Express will look to bounce back on Sunday, as they take on the Surrey Eagles in a matinee tilt.
#AllAboard
