If the B.C. Hockey League's Coastal Conference got any tighter, you'd need a power wrench to pry the teams apart.
Coquitlam Express showed their capable of at least keeping pace with the division's big boys, tripping the first-place Surrey Eagles 4-3 in overtime Saturday in South Surrey before slipping 3-2 Sunday afternoon to the Victoria Grizzlies at Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.
A mere seven points separate the top seven teams in the eight-team loop, with a paltry three the difference in the logjam between first and fifth.
The results moved the Express to 7-8-1-1, seven points back of the Eagles and just six away from a three-way tie for second. Minus their top gun Alex Kerfoot, who's toiling for Canada West in the World Jr. 'A' Challenge tournament in Langley, the Express got an OT penalty-shot goal from Malcolm McKinney to edge the Eagles.
Justin Georgeson, Brady Shaw and Alex Petan also tallied for Coquitlam.
Against Victoria before a season-high home crowd of 1,035, the Express out-shot the Grizzlies 37-30 but could only muster markers by Mitch Nardi and Petan in the one-goal defeat.
The Express host Cowichan Valley on Saturday, 7 p.m.
