Every once in a while, a game simply means more than the rest. That is precisely the air surrounding tonight’s affair between Coquitlam and Langley as they will meet for the first time since October, and for the first time since the trade.
Jackson Krill and Sebastian Bradshaw for Mason Kesselring and Jack Bakker. That was the headline on November 2nd when the Rivermen and Express swapped some high-end talent in a move that sought to improve both clubs and fill some missing gaps. The Express upgraded their pace and skill while Langley got a pair of extremely physical two-way players. All four guys have had plenty of time to acclimate to their new homes, but the fire will always be there to beat your former team. Expect to see bodies flying out there as the extra layers of motivation serve to stoke the competition level.
Both teams are playing roughly .500 hockey in their last 10 games but the Express have the better short term momentum. Last weekend Coquitlam secured three out of four points on the Island Swing while the Rivermen dropped a pair of home games vs Chilliwack and Surrey. That will likely make for an extra hungry Langley side, which the Express will need to temper early lest they get established on their home ice.
Coquitlam’s sticks are red hot coming off the Victoria and Nanaimo games. 11 goals were scored on the roadtrip last weekend and if that trend continues then the Rivermen could be in trouble. Langley gave up a combined 12 goals in their pair of aforementioned losses to fellow mainland opponents, so it is time for them to start bailing and patch up the holes in the boat. That’s not to say the Express haven’t sprung a few leaks as nine goals plus a shootout winner went against them over their last two. Whichever side can buckle it down defensively will likely come away victorious, unless the Express have another offensive explosion anyways.
Both sides have seen retooling of the rosters since their last meeting. On the side of Coquitlam, the blueline underwent the additions of Jack Sullivan and Koray Bozkaya, both who have fit in excellently on the backend. In between the pipes, Andrew Ness has bolstered the netminding situation. And up front, Carson McGinley has added another injection of skill and grit that showed up bigtime with two goals tallied in his debut weekend. On the Langley end of the equation, recent acquisitions include Latvian world junior representative Davids Livsics, a veteran defender out of the Olds Grizzlies in Quinn Abbott and finally a new netminder as they swapped Bodee Weiss for Xander Miceli from the Spruce Grove Saints. The Rivermen have also seen Jackson Potulny, Greye Rampton, Liam Payne, and Zachary Benayon join the team. Needless to say the makeup of this game will be very different than what could be expected from the three contests in October.
The Express and Rivermen are neck and neck in the standings sitting in the sixth and seventh spots in the Coastal Conference respectively. This one has all the makings for an exciting contest at the Lodge.
Tune in around 7PM PST for all the action live on FloHockey or be sure to show that Express pride at the George Preston Recreation Centre.
FLOHOCKEY BROADCAST (Select “Away” Stream)
– Ian Wilson
