The Coquitlam Express extended their winning streak to five games over the weekend, notching two wins during a home-and-home against the Surrey Eagles.
There was a scary moment during Friday night's game at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex when Eagle forward Ty Westgard left the ice with a laceration to his leg. Express coach Barry Wolff told The Tri-City News that there was some concern that his Achilles had been severed, however the injury turned out to be not as bad as initially thought.
"A skate somehow cut him," he said. "He was hobbling off from the far corner by their bench."
Paramedics worked on the injured player at the bench for about 20 minutes before taking him to hospital.
Westgard's injury occurred five minutes into the second period, with the score already knotted 1-1.
Express forward Corey Mackin scored the first marker of the night and made it 2-1 for his club midway through the second.
The Eagles responded with a goal but the Express were able to capitalize on some early chances in the third period.
Coquitlam's Brendan Lamont potted one 19 second into the final frame, before teammate Brendan Gulka scored his fourth of the season to make it 4-2.
Eagles forward Jordan Funk managed to bring the game to within one goal, but empty netters from Mackin and Cody Boyd ended the game with a 6-3 score in favour of the Express.
Mackin was named the second star in the game and is now firmly at the top of the BCHL scoring race with 39 points, form up on West Kelowna's Liam Blackburn. He also leads the league in goals with 22 in 21 games.
"He has been a little more poised with the puck and he's shooting more, which is something he didn't do as much last year," Wolff said. "He is just a more mature player."
Mackin picked up another four points on Saturday in a rematch against the Eagles in Surrey.
The high scoring affair saw seven goals scored in the first period.
Daniell Lange got things started for Coquitlam when he buried a pass from Cody Boyd, while Mackin made it 2-1 four minutes later with a shorthanded goal.
Team captain Joey Santucci also found the back of the net, while Lamont and Austin Anselmo both factored into the first period scoring.
MACKIN NOW LEADS LEAGUE IN POINTS, GOALS
Down 5-2 going into the second, the Eagles tried to fight back.
John Wesley scored a goal for the home team while Chase McMurphy also potted one.
However, penalty trouble midway through the period cost the Surrey club, with Coquitlam's Brett Supinski burying a Mackin feed before Lamont also scored on the power play.
The Express added to their total in the third, with goals from Lamont, Lange and Boyd to finish the game with a 10-5 win.
"We were ready to go right from the get go," Wolff said of his club's most decisive victory yet this season. "We had a lot pressure early."
However, Coquitlam still has a long way to go if it hopes to dig itself out of the hole the team dug in the standings in the first few weeks of the season.
The Express are currently fourth in the Mainland Division, two points behind the Langley Rivermen.
But Wolff said his club is starting to turn the corner, and he believes some problems that team encountered earlier in the year have been rectified.
"I think when you put together a streak like this - five games is pretty good for any level of hockey -it builds confidence," he said. "A lot of it is confidence. We are making better decisions and we are playing more as a team."
Lamont was named first star of the game, while Mackin received second star honours. Goalie Chris Tai stopped 20 of 25 shots he faced during the game. The Coquitlam Express host Chilliwack tonight at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
For more information go to www.coquitlamexpress.ca.
