The Express and Clippers meet tonight for the final time this campaign with Coquitlam having the stranglehold on the season series. Something about this Nanaimo team has sparked offensive outbursts in the Express as they have put up a combined 17 goals in three prior meetings. The home side will need a healthy dose of that offensive efficiency as they look to bounce back from the 3-2 loss at the hands of Prince George last night.
Nanaimo have found themselves on a late-year heater and it has certainly changed their fortunes drastically. Once sharing the bottom of the Coastal Conference standings with the Powell River Kings, those days are long in the past. Much improved goaltending, a smoother offence and the defence picking up much needed slack has found themselves knocking on the door of home ice for the opening round. The biggest of these aforementioned changes is without a doubt between the pipes. Ever since the Express chased Chazz Nixon on January 4th, he has only posted a sub .900 save percentage in a game twice. Then the Clippers brought in Vladimir Nikitin, the former Chilliwack Chief and Ottawa Senators draft pick, who has gone 9-2 with a 2.72 GAA and .909 SV% since returning to the BCHL. When a team has two goalies that are rolling, you are going to have a tough night whomever you face. Cole Lonsdale and Dylan Kinch have also kicked it up a gear, currently tallying 67 and 66 points respectively.
For the Express, they will need to be on their best behavior defensively tonight. Mistakes were made within their own end yesterday that resulted in some big Prince George goals. Had their opponent been a more dangerous offensive side, it could have been much worse. These Clippers are that dangerous side, and run an offence much more free-flowing and lethal than the grit and grind forechecking style of the Spruce Kings.
As the injury situation fluctuates, it’s hard to predict who will finally draw back into the lineup and how the defensive combinations will look. Regardless of how they shape up, some of the recent consistent performers have been Mitch Kneidel, Jack Sullivan and Koray Bozkaya. They all were reliable exiting the zone and made good decisions throughout the game last night. We knew that with key injuries opening up more minutes and opportunities throughout the lineup that guys were going to step up, and they have impressed as of late. Cooper Wilson has been a consistent defensive anchor all season long so he goes without saying. Connor Seeley also enters tonight’s game with points in six of his last seven games and continues to be a great addition to the lineup.
If you can’t make it down to the Poirier, be sure to tune in on Flohockey as tonight I will be joined by a special guest. Jordan Dobrew, the voice of the North Vancouver Wolfpack, will be joining the broadcast to provide colour commentary.
– Ian Wilson
