Greg Lapointe’s 24th goal of the season less than nine minutes into the third period was all the Coquitlam Express needed to defeat the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, 1-0, Sunday in Salmon Arm.
The rest was up to goaltender Jack Watson, who made 43 saves to earn his first career shutout.
At the other end of the ice, Coquitlam, which was playing its third game in as many days, fired 29 shots at Silverbacks’ goalie Grant Adams.
The win was the 17th in a row for the league-leading Express, which now has a 10-point advantage over second-place Penticton Vees. Both teams have already qualified for the playoffs.
Coquitlam plays the Chilliwack Chiefs, in Chilliwack, on Saturday before returning home to face the Langley Rivermen next Sunday, 3 p.m., at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
