The Bulldogs were backed into a corner heading into Game 6. You know what they say about a cornered animal. Alberni take the victory 3-1 and force a Game 7 back in the Heart of Hockey Valley this Tuesday.
The first period of each game in this best of seven has been extremely important. Whether one team was able to extract an early advantage, generate momentum or just dictate the flow of play and settle into a game well, the opening frame has always been impactful. Alberni Valley got two up on the board in the first tonight with Jacob Terpstra and Hayden Stavroff doing the damage.
Terpstra scored on the powerplay to make it a 1-0 game just under 10 minutes into the contest. His marker came off a fortuitous deflection for the Bulldogs in front of the goal. A blocked shot went off a player in front and right to the stick of the winger from Shelby Township. Adam Manji had already committed to the initial shot that was blocked so Terpstra just had to slide it home.
Hayden Stavroff provided a backbreaker in the final minute of the first when he slipped in behind the defence and received a great through pass from Matt Kursonis. The league leader in goals kept his scoring touch hot as he made one move in tight and sent a backhander upstairs to beat Manji and increase the lead to 2-0. There was a discussion by the officials as to if the play was offside, and on the replay it was an extremely tight call. Regardless of whether Stavroff entered legally or not, the Express defence lost track of him all the same. You cannot give a scorer like that an open look to the front of the goal.
In the second period the Express started to find their offensive rhythm a little more consistently. More passes connected in the neutral zone and the forecheck was generating chances. They finally broke through off the stick of Jake Manfre. The 20-year-old walked the puck into the slot on a powerplay chance and sent it to the roof of the goal. It took the perfect shot to beat Callum Tung tonight and that was unfortunately the only time Coquitlam could do so. Manfre now has three goals in the series and has scored each one at the Train Station.
A sense of urgency befell the Express in the third period to say the least as the home side outshot the Bulldogs 20-6 in the final frame. They poured it on and skated hard to get to pucks and keep the flow of play heading to the Alberni end. This is where Callum Tung played his best hockey of the night. Whether it was good positioning, great rebound control, or a timely slide to deny a tip in attempt, the Port Moody product was up to the task tonight.
The Express pulled Adam Manji to the bench with 1:20 to go in the game after a timeout by Jeff Wagner and company. Coquitlam had a few chances off the initial faceoff in the offensive end, but the Bulldogs dug in defensively. Once the puck was cleared down the ice Alberni managed the attempted breakouts by Coquitlam well. Eventually a clearing attempt was tipped by an Express defender and Braxton Buckberger took off to track it down and steer it the rest of the way home.
Coquitlam utilized Zeyd Boltakke tonight throughout the first and second frame and deployed Nate Crema as a blueliner at times but when crunchtime came the majority of minutes were eaten up by Rubin, Reilley, Vardy and Gabrielson. Credit where it is due, those guys battled hard again tonight. A full 60 with only four of your rostered defenceman is tough for any squad. Other than the lapse where Stavroff broke free, the backend was solid for the Express tonight.
The Bulldogs played a complete game tonight from start to finish and they earned a chance to finish the series in Game 7 on home ice. The Express have had success on the road this quarterfinal but this will be the ultimate test of resilience. Hopefully with two days in between games the blueline can take the chance to heal and get a body or two back.
One thing is certain. The Express and Bulldogs are about to give us a spectacle on Tuesday night. The best series of the opening round gives us one more game.
FORTIS BC ENERGY PLAYER – Cole Melady
MARINER BREWING 3 STARS
3rd – COQ – Jake Manfre – Powerplay Goal
2nd – AVB – Hayden Stavroff – Game Winning Goal
1st – AVB – Callum Tung – 41 Saves on 42 Shots
– Ian Wilson
