Four goals in the second period was all the Coquitlam Express needed to lock up their second win of the season, 6-3, over the Powell River Kings, Thursday at the BC Hockey League’s annual showcase in Chilliwack.
After Cooper Connell opened the scoring with a laser snap shot over the glove of Powell River goalie Mitch Adamyk less than four minutes into the first period, the Express widened their margin with a pair of goals just over a minute apart early in the second period.
Alex DiPaolo scored his first BCHL goal when he poked home a loose puck in Adamyk’s crease, then 1:02 later Christian Sanda converted a pass from behind the net by Chase Danol. It was Sanda’s third goal of the season.
Powell River got one of those back but 1:11 later Joshua Wildauer restored Coquitlam’s two-goal advantage.
Christian Buono made it 4-2 but late in the period Connor Gregga opened his BCHL account with his first goal, tipping a shot by Dallas Farrell into the Kings’ net.
The Express outshot Powell River in that middle frame, 20-10.
The Kings closed to within two goals early in the third but Cole Edgerton was able to seal the deal for Coquitlam when his shot from the left face-off circle eluded Adamyk.
Kolby Matthews stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced in the Express’ net to earn his first win of the season after two losses.
The Express will play Cowichan Valley on Saturday afternoon at the showcase. They play their first home game of the season against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Sunday, 3 p.m., at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.
The game will be preceded by a special ceremony honouring the memory of the members of the Humboldt Broncos team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League who were killed last April when the bus they were travelling in to a playoff game collided with a truck.
The team is also donating $5 from every ticket sold in advance to the game, as well as the proceeds from in-game activities, to former BCHLer, Wade MacLeod, who grew up in Coquitlam and now lives in Port Moody. The 31-year-old pro hockey player recently underwent his fourth brain operation in five years to remove a recurring tumour. Advance tickets are available at Mariner Brewing and the Coquitlam and Port Moody locations of Innovative Fitness.
