The Coquitlam Express clawed their way back to within a goal of the Victoria Grizzlies 12 minutes into the third period but they could get no closer as they dropped their BC Hockey League game 6-3 Friday at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
In fact, the tantalizing prospect of a four-goal comeback after the Express had spotted the visitors a 4-0 lead lasted a tick less than two-and-a-half minutes. That’s how long it took for Victoria’s Marty Westhaver to make it 5-3 after Joshua Wildauer’s 11th goal of the season had brought Coquitlam all the way back to 4-3.
Ryan Nolan rounded out the Grizzlies’ 16th win of the season with an unassisted goal into an empty net with eight seconds left in the game.
Victoria opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period then added three more before the second period was 10 minutes old.
Juliano Santalucia’s first goal of the season started Coquitlam’s climb back into the game that gathered momentum when Chase Danol’s goal 4:22 into the third period made it 4-2.
Victoria’s highly-touted prospect Alex Newhook, who’s projected as a possible first-round pick in next spring’s NHL entry draft, finished the game with one assist but made enough of an impression in other aspects of his play to earn the game’s first start.
Clay Stevenson stopped 40 of the 45 shots he faced in the Express net, while his teammates fired 27 shots at Victoria’s Kurtis Chapman.
The loss, combined with a 3-0 win by the Prince George Spruce Kings over Powell River, drops the Express into third place in the Mainland Division.
Coquitlam hosts the Surrey Eagles in their next game, Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
