CHIEFS EDGE EXPRESS

Oliver Lester - Photo courtesy of Garrett James

The Chilliwack Chiefs put the full court press on the Express in the third period en route to a 3-2 win Saturday night. Click here for boxscore

The visitors really limited the chances the Express were able to generate with the game on the line.

The Chiefs put the Express in an early hole within the first five minutes of the game.

Kaden Pickering snapped a shot that trickled through Clay Stevenson for a power play goal at 3:08.

Colby Pederson had 3 goals in his last 2 games
Photo courtesy of Garrett James

That goal was followed 1:35 later by a goal from Anthony Vincent who converted a set up by Skylar Brind'Amour off the rush for a 2-0 Chiefs lead. The goal for Vincent was the start of a great night for the Chiefs forward.

Colby Pederson found himself on a breakaway moments later but couldn't get a shot away. Then Josh Bruce was set up in the slot, but was unable to get off his best shot.

Jordan Schulting got the Express on t
he board when his point shot beat Mathieu Caron low along the ice moments after a power play expired.

A major reason Chilliwack was able to get out of the first period lead was Anthony Vincent who had three shot blocks in the first period alone. His most notable one come in the final moments of the first period when he took an Express shot off the face.

Shots were few and far between for both teams in the second period. Clay Stevenson made his best save of the night on a rebound chance for Kaden Pickering.

Colby Pederson evened things up for the Express roofing a backhand for a shorthanded goal. It was Pederson's 3rd goal in two games after striking twice Friday night in Merritt.

Chilliwack started the third period with purpose. They were controlling the puck and playing with speed in the Express zone. It didn't take long for them to get rewarded. Jake Gresh snapped a wrist shot up over the shoulder of Stevenson for a 3-2 Chiefs lead at 1:11.

That shift and goal really set the tone for Chilliwack for the final 18:49 of the game. They spent the majority of the period controlling the puck in the Express zone and along the boards. It wasn't pretty, but effective at killing the clock.

Jordan Schulting had a goal in the first - Photo courtesy of Garrett James

The Express chance to get the equalizer came 7 minutes into the period when Corey Andonovski was assessed a double minor for high sticking. The Express were only able to muster one shot in the four minute power play. They finished 0 for 6 on the power play.

On a number of occasions Chilliwack was able to pin the puck along the boards and just kill the clock. There was one scrum that allowed 20+ seconds to run off the clock. Then in the final minute of the 3rd period the final 40 seconds was mostly tied up in a scrum to the right of the Chilliwack net which was allowed to run for so long, the clock ticked down to 0:00 to seal the win for the Chiefs.

The final shots in the third period finished 14-2 in favour of the Chiefs. Over the course of 60 minutes, the Chiefs outshot the Express 29-12.

The Express are back in action Wednesday night when they host Merritt.