Coquitlam Express let another win opportunity slip through their grasp Wednesday and watched their playoff chances plunge deeper into unattainable territory.
Surrey Eagles zipped in five of the game's first six goals and sailed to a 7-3 B.C. Hockey League victory over the desperate Express at South Surrey Arena. The win kept the 20-28-1-9 Express knotted with the Cowichan Valley Capitals for the eight-team Coastal Conference's seventh and final post-season spot, with the Caps having fallen 5-1 the same day to the host Victoria Grizzlies.
The Express have two regular-season games remaining -- tonight (Friday) versus the Eagles again, 7 p.m. at the Sports Centre, and Sunday's 2 p.m. finale also at home against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
The Caps final contest is a meeting with the league-leading Powell River Kings tonight in Cowichan.
Currently, the Caps and Coquitlam each have 50 points but Cowichan holds the first tie-breaker over the Express via their one more victory. The Express are on the cusp of missing the playoffs for a third straight year.
"The players know what's at stake and the intensity should be jacked," Express assistant coach Grant Kerr wrote on the team's website regarding the team's stretch drive.
On Wednesday, the Eagles snapped an early 1-1 deadlock by firing in the game's next four goals to take a commanding 5-1 margin by the midway point of the second period.
Alex Petan and Massimo Lamacchia then struck for back-to-back powerplay goals to pull the Express within two at 5-3 by the two-minute mark of the third but Surrey responded right after with two more tallies two minutes apart to secure the win.
Destry Straight netted Coquitlam's other goal -- the third Express man-advantage marker in the game -- while Surrey out-shot the visitors by a gaping 48-24 count.
Express goalie was stellar yet again, blocking 41 shots.
ICING: Sunday's season finale is fan appreciation and rain-check day at the Sports Centre, with Express season ticket holders permitted to use up to eight unused tickets to bring friends to the matinee affair. Also, team awards will be handed out before puck drop, as will prizes to fans throughout the game... Playoff implications are still on the line in the PIJHL Jr. 'B' loop, with the Black Panthers concluding their regular season Saturday versus the Aldergrove Kodiaks at PoMo Rec Complex, 7:45 p.m. The Cats have locked up second-place in their five-team conference and await their first-round foes.
