It's been a tough start to the BCHL playoffs for the Coquitlam Express, but the club is hoping that a return to the friendly confines of the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex on Friday will help them turn their series around.
The latest blow was dealt to the team on Wednesday, when for the fourth straight game - two of them in the post-season - the Express fell to the Chilliwack Chiefs by a sizable margin.
Chilliwack took an early 1-0 lead with a power play goal from Jake Hand, who was eventually named first star of the game, but Coquitlam quickly righted the ship with a tying goal from Jackson Cressey.
However, the home team found their scoring touch in the middle frame.
Despite a marker from BCHL leading scorer Corey Mackin, the Chiefs piled up three unanswered goals, leading the game 4-2 going into the last period.
There, a power play marker from Chilliwack's Craig Puffer and an even-strength goal from Scott Davidson put the game out of reach for the visitors.
Express goalie Chris Tai was busy in net, turning away 35 of the 41 shots he faced in front of the high-flying Chilliwack offence.
On Monday, it was a different score but a similar result in the first-round series opener. The Chiefs quickly took a two-goal lead, with Hand scoring unassisted and Jordan Kawaguchi burying a feed from Puffer.
After a scoreless second period, Kurt Black made it 3-0 for the home team before Coquitlam's Daniel Fritz got his team on the board with two minutes left in the game.
But any hope of a comeback was quickly crushed when Hand took a pass from Rory Bell and managed to find the empty-netter a minute after Fritz' goal.
Chiefs goalie David Jacobson had a strong game in net, stopping 39 of 40, while at the other end of the rink Tai stopped 20 of 23.
Jacobson was named first star of the game, while Coquitlam's Brett Supinski, who assisted on his team's lone goal, was named third star.
The Chiefs finished first in the Mainland Division, with a 37-17-1-0 record, setting up the first-round series matchup with Coquitlam, who finished in fourth place with a 25-28-1-4 record.
While Chilliwack amassed an impressive goal total with 215 during the regular season (a number only surpassed by Coquitlam with 218), they also have an extremely stingy defence, allowing only 184 goals against. Meanwhile, Coquitlam was tied for third to last place in the league with their goals against average of 238.
The Express will be hoping for a better outcome when the series returns home for two games this weekend.
Puck drop for Friday's game at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex is 7 p.m., while the game on Saturday will take place at 7:30 p.m. Should it be necessary, the series will continue on Monday in Chilliwack before coming back to Coquitlam on Tuesday.
For more information to to www.coquitlamexpress.ca.
@GMcKennaTC
