Like in so many hockey playoff match-ups, the dynamic offence of the Coquitlam Express was denied by the Powell River Kings' dogged defence.
The Kings collared the Express 4-1 Friday -- and 19-13 over six games -- to win the first-round, best-of-seven B.C. Hockey League series before 1,044 fans at Poirier Sports Complex.
After finishing last and seventh in the eight-team Coastal Conference the last two seasons, the fourth-place Express failed to knock off the first-place Kings despite winning the season series with a 6-1-1 head-to-head record.
"The goal at the start of the season was to get into the playoffs," said Express general manager Darcy Rota. "The kids did that, the coaches did that.
"Still, we're obviously disappointed. We thought we had a good chance to do some damage in the playoffs. The bottom line is Powell River is very strong defensively. We've got to get bigger and more physical on our back end [next season]."
The series' turning point, Rota conceded, was when the Express let a 2-0 second-period lead escape in a tough 3-2 defeat in Thursday's Game 5 in Powell River, which led to Friday's finale in Coquitlam.
