Chilliwack used three powerplay goals to pace their offence en route to a 4-2 win over the Express Friday.
The Chiefs have yet to lose to the Express this season with 3 wins and a tie in 4 games vs. Coquitlam and all 3 wins have come in Coquitlam.
The Express again were considerably shorthanded with 8 regulars out of the lineup either with injuries or at the World Junior A Challenge.
Chilliwack was also missing two key players with Austin Plevy and Cooper Rush in Nova Scotia at the CJHL Top Prospects games this weekend.
Trevor Hills took Plevy's place on the Chiefs top line with Luke Esposito and Josh Hansen.
And it was Hills who got the offence rolling as he cut into the slot and snapped a shot through the legs of Cole Huggins to open the scoring at 14:16.
Mitch Gillam turned aside 31 of 33 shots in the game. 9 of those saves came in the first period. He denied Mitchell Fyffe and Justin Georgeson on two of the best Express chances in the first period.
Hills added to Chilliwack's lead scoring his second powerplay goal of the game as a point shot by Alex Perron-Fontaine was stopped and the rebound bounced to Hills who had a gaping net to slide the puck home.
One of the lines that played for the Express was a very young but skilled line featuring 17 year old Adam Rockwood, 16 year old Luca Leone and 15 year old phenom Matthew Barzal who dresssed for his 3rd game with the Express as an AP.
Barzal picked up his first BCHL point in the third period as he slid the puck up to centre for Leone who had a breakaway from the red line in and he made no mistake sliding the puck through the legs of Mitch Gillam to get the Express on the board at 2:19.
Just over two minutes later the Chiefs restored their two goal advantage. Luke Esposito snapped home the puck at the side of the net to put the Chiefs up 3-1. Hills and Perron-Fontaine each picked up their third points of the game on the goal by Esposito.
The Express have given up just 4 powerplay goals at home this season. The Chiefs have scored all 4 of those goals in the Express barn.
The game on the scoreboard was decided on special teams. The Chiefs went 3 for 7 with the man advantage while the Express went just 1 for 7.
Jarret Babych rounded out the scoring just over two minutes after Esposito's goal as he cut into the slot and fired a shot over the glove of Huggins.
The lone Express powerplay goal of the net came midway through the final period off a won faceoff and Phil Zielonka snapped the puck past Gilliam to round out the scoring.
Chilliwack outshot the Express 48-33. The Chiefs still haven't lost in regulation against a Mainland division opponent this season improving to 7-0-1-1 within the division this season.
The Express will get right back on the horse with another divisional contest Saturday in Langley.
On another note, Team Canada West will play for gold for a second straight year at the World Junior A Challenge as they knocked off Team Canada East 1-0 in the semi finals. They will play the USA Sunday in the final after they knocked off Switzerland 7-4 earlier in the day.
The Chiefs have yet to lose to the Express this season with 3 wins and a tie in 4 games vs. Coquitlam and all 3 wins have come in Coquitlam.
The Express again were considerably shorthanded with 8 regulars out of the lineup either with injuries or at the World Junior A Challenge.
Chilliwack was also missing two key players with Austin Plevy and Cooper Rush in Nova Scotia at the CJHL Top Prospects games this weekend.
Trevor Hills took Plevy's place on the Chiefs top line with Luke Esposito and Josh Hansen.
And it was Hills who got the offence rolling as he cut into the slot and snapped a shot through the legs of Cole Huggins to open the scoring at 14:16.
Mitch Gillam turned aside 31 of 33 shots in the game. 9 of those saves came in the first period. He denied Mitchell Fyffe and Justin Georgeson on two of the best Express chances in the first period.
Hills added to Chilliwack's lead scoring his second powerplay goal of the game as a point shot by Alex Perron-Fontaine was stopped and the rebound bounced to Hills who had a gaping net to slide the puck home.
One of the lines that played for the Express was a very young but skilled line featuring 17 year old Adam Rockwood, 16 year old Luca Leone and 15 year old phenom Matthew Barzal who dresssed for his 3rd game with the Express as an AP.
Barzal picked up his first BCHL point in the third period as he slid the puck up to centre for Leone who had a breakaway from the red line in and he made no mistake sliding the puck through the legs of Mitch Gillam to get the Express on the board at 2:19.
Just over two minutes later the Chiefs restored their two goal advantage. Luke Esposito snapped home the puck at the side of the net to put the Chiefs up 3-1. Hills and Perron-Fontaine each picked up their third points of the game on the goal by Esposito.
The Express have given up just 4 powerplay goals at home this season. The Chiefs have scored all 4 of those goals in the Express barn.
The game on the scoreboard was decided on special teams. The Chiefs went 3 for 7 with the man advantage while the Express went just 1 for 7.
Jarret Babych rounded out the scoring just over two minutes after Esposito's goal as he cut into the slot and fired a shot over the glove of Huggins.
The lone Express powerplay goal of the net came midway through the final period off a won faceoff and Phil Zielonka snapped the puck past Gilliam to round out the scoring.
Chilliwack outshot the Express 48-33. The Chiefs still haven't lost in regulation against a Mainland division opponent this season improving to 7-0-1-1 within the division this season.
The Express will get right back on the horse with another divisional contest Saturday in Langley.
On another note, Team Canada West will play for gold for a second straight year at the World Junior A Challenge as they knocked off Team Canada East 1-0 in the semi finals. They will play the USA Sunday in the final after they knocked off Switzerland 7-4 earlier in the day.
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