Every once in awhile a team has a game that they wish could simply be swept under the rug and forgotten about. Tonight was precisely that as the Express end 2023 on a note they will hope to bury soundly at the start of 2024. Every team goes through games that force a gut check, and this contest will certainly provoke some soul searching for Coquitlam.
The first period featured a high energy start from both sides with much of the adrenaline and bad blood carrying over to motivate this game from the get-go. Back to backs against the same team just have a way of providing great storylines and players remembering each other’s numbers in that regard. In the latter stages Remi Gelinas broke down the right wing and beat Adam Manji with a wrist shot to the glove side, breaking open the scoring for Powell River for the second night in a row. The Kings have had great success this season when scoring first and it was an omen for the ages.
And then there was the second period. Asher Wites is credited with the tally on the scoresheet but in reality the Express notched a rather impressive own goal, while also on the powerplay. Adam Manji came out of his cage and played the puck to Michael Rubin and then turned to skate back into the crease thinking all would be well. Rubin’s momentum on his first touch of the puck caused it to skip over his stick when he went to turn back up ice, thus propelling the puck off Manji’s skate and into the goal. To follow that up, later in the frame Luke Vardy threw an errant pass up the centre of the Express zone that went straight to Anthony Lucarelli, giving the Kings forward a straight line shot up main street at Manji. 3-0 hockey game. Vardy did make partial amends to end the second by scoring on the powerplay to bring the Express within two.
Powell River came to play in the third period, skating hard and taking a larger share of the puck control while Coquitlam looked to find some spark of momentum. Adam Mendelson doused any spark that would be found as he netted the Kings’ second shorthanded goal of the game finishing off an odd man rush. Then things went from bad to even worse as Adam Manji picked up an injury to his glove hand after stopping a breakaway effort from the Kings. Ethan Simcoe came into the contest but shortly returned to the bench as Coquitlam pulled the goalie with over 5 minutes remaining down by 3. It didn’t take long for Powell River to wrestle control of the puck and spring Christian Maro to firmly put the final nail in Coquitlam’s coffin.
Long story short, this was not Coquitlam’s night. There will be many lessons learned from this evening at Hap Parker and that hopefully will result in a renewed conviction for the new year. The Holiday hangover hit the Express hard to start the road trip but there is still plenty of hockey remaining before they return home at the end of January. This weekend was just another reminder that any team can beat any team in this league on any given night. When your team comes out on the wrong end of it, sure it feels bad. But that also means your side can have all cylinders start firing at a moment’s notice. And that right there is the magic of the BCHL.
2023 has been a rollercoaster. Many highs, many lows. Thank you for being a part of it all. Happy New Year and we will see you very soon in 2024.
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER – Simone Dadie
MARINER BREWING 3 STARS
3rd – PR – Adam Mendelson – 1G
2nd – PR – Anthony Lucarelli – 1G 2A
1st – PR – Owen Crudale – 31 Saves on 32 Shots
– Ian Wilson
