One of the marquee events of the BCHL calendar is upon us at the Chilliwack Coliseum and Abbotsford Centre. The BCHL Showcase is a chance for all teams across the league to show up and show out in front of a plethora of scouts. As such the advantage of having everyone together is cross conference matchups. For your Express they will have the chance to see two Alberta teams during this year’s rendition.
Up first is today’s contest against the Spruce Grove Saints who sit 10th in the Interior Conference at 2-5. They have the fourth fewest goals scored across the league and haven’t been overly exceptional on the defensive side to compensate. This should be a good chance for the Express offence to stretch its legs after stumbling a bit in the Langley Rivermen game Saturday night. A score by committee type of team in the early season has been the M.O as four players, Matheson Mason, Austin Peters, Ryan Johnstone and Josh Polak, are all tied with three a piece. If those first two names sounded familiar then you’re correct. Mason was a member of the Express for a 10 game stint last season before being traded to the Blackfalds Bulldogs in exchange for David Brandes. As for Austin Peters, he was a foe as opposed to friend being a part of the Chilliwack Chiefs’ roster last season. In goal the Saints have Xander Miceli who holds a 2-1 record along with a .888SV% and 3.58GAA.
The Express will need to be in solid form today to avoid being surprised by a cross conference opponent. While the record hasn’t been stellar for the Saints, they have faced some very tough competition to start the campaign. Spruce Grove have played Penticton, Brooks, Sherwood Park, as well as Trail and Salmon Arm. It’s been a constant in the BCHL for a long time that you cannot take anyone for granted regardless of the record. After all, the Express record last season wasn’t fantastic and yet they pushed the Alberni Valley Bulldogs to the limit in a seven game playoff series.
Defence needs to be taken pride in again this afternoon. The Express had far too many turnovers leading to quality chances on Saturday and the offence has been good, but not lights out enough to score themselves out of every game where defensive lapses may occur. The success early this season has come from the team’s willingness to play a hard nose, frustrating style of hockey that grinds opponents down. The smart puck movement from the blueline to start rushes is evident but watch for the Saints to see the advantage Langley gained from their aggressive coverage of the defensive zone. It’s easier said than done but if the Saints play a similar gap closing defence this afternoon, Coquitlam cannot afford to get flustered. Sam Frandina showed off that one quick move is all it takes to turn an aggressive opponent into a liability for the defence. Enough guys overskate the blueline trying to harry a defender moving the puck and they will have to change their defensive schemes pretty quick.
A notable omission from the scoresheet this season has been Jackson Krill. Five points in eight games to his name but none have been in the goal column. The positive has been that despite the goals not coming naturally so far, he hasn’t quit playing hard. Those five assists come from understanding that even if you can’t put one away yourself right now, your teammates still need you defending and creating opportunities in the attacking zone. Look for him to break through at this showcase when his team may just need him most.
Head down to the Chilliwack Coliseum for a 2:30PM PST puck drop or be sure to tune in to the AWAY feed on FloHockey for all the action!
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– Ian Wilson
