Powell River Kings fired 49 shots at the Coquitlam cage Friday. They managed to beat Express goalies only four times and failed to beat them on the scoreboard.
Alex Petan and Alexander Kerfoot rifled home third-period goals as the Express posted a dramatic 4-4 draw before 806 fans at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex against the Kings, who are considered a prime Royal Bank Cup national contender this B.C. Hockey League season.
The Express's Khaleed Devji relieved starter Cole Huggins midway through the game and was particularly strong in the final 20 minutes, blocking all 22 blasts the Kings' sent his way while Coquitlam managed only nine in the period on the Power River net.
Devji followed up his strong showing with another superb effort Saturday, when he blocked 50 shots to rally the Express to a 5-3 triumph over the host Cowichan Valley Capitals.
The Caps out-shot Coquitlam 53-30, including by a staggering 39-15 margin over the final two periods.
"[We] bent at times but never broke, thanks to Devji," Express assistant coach Grant Kerr wrote on the team's website. "He was brilliant."
Against Powell River, the Express went three-for-six on the powerplay with Brady Shaw and Evan Campbell joining Petan and Kerfoot on the scoresheet.
In Cowichan, the Express bolted to a 3-0 first-period lead and made it 4-0 with fewer than seven minutes left in the second before the Caps rallied to cut the margin to 4-3 seven minutes into the third.
Kerfoot sealed the win with an empty netter, with defenceman Clinton Atkinson pacing the Express offence with two tallies. Zack Holstrom and Mitch Nardi also struck net for Coquitlam.
The results improved the Express to 5-3-1-0 and into third spot in the eight-team Coastal Conference, just four points back of the first-place Kings.
