A former Chilliwack Chief scored in overtime to give the Coquitlam Express a 4-3 over his former team in their BC Hockey League game Friday at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Complex.
Regan Kimens stripped the puck from Chiefs forward Harrison Blaisdell and broke in alone, beating Chilliwack goalie Daniel Chenard 3:54 into the extra period. The goal was Kimens’ 12th of the season, and saved a win the Express almost let get away.
After the Chiefs took a 1-0 lead with the only goal in the first period, Coquitlam roared back with three straight goals in the second period to take command of the game with a 3-1 lead. Dallas Farrell, Joshua Wilder and Pito Walton scored the goals for the Express.
But with less than two minutes to go until the break, Brett Rylance scored unassisted to pull the visitors a goal back. Jacques Bouquot then tied it 30 seconds into the third period with a power play goal as Coquitlam’s Christian Sanda sat out a kneeing penalty he was assessed in the waning seconds of the second frame.
The teams exchanged several chances as regulation time wound down, including a shot by Coquitlam’s DiPaolo that rang off the post.
Express keeper Clay Stevenson stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced and earned the game’s second star, while Chenard stopped 24 shots in Chilliwack’s net.
Chilliwack’s loss, combined with a 3-0 win by Prince George over Cowichan Valley dropped the Chiefs into second place in the Mainland Division, one point behind the Spruce Kings.
The Express remain solidly in third in the same division, nine points back of the Chiefs and seven up on the Langley Rivermen, who kept pace with a 5-2 win over Victoria.
Coquitlam’s six-game homestand continues Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., when they host Alberni Valley.
