BULLDOGS AT EXPRESS HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of the Express 4-2 win over Alberni Valley Sunday.



Highlights produced by Eddie Gregory.

EXPRESS LEAVE NO DOUBT VS. SPRUCE KINGS

Photo courtesy of Damon James:

If the Prince George Spruce Kings were a deciduous tree, they would have lost all their leaves all at once on this September Sunday afternoon in Coquitlam as the Express completely sucked the life out of them all afternoon long in a 5-1 win. Click here for boxscore

They literally gave the Spruce Kings nothing for nearly the first half of the game while pulling away over the course of 60 minutes.

Shift after shift in the first period saw the Express spend the vast majority of the time controlling the puck in the Prince George end. And when they lost the puck, the Express tracked back hard to get it back before the Spruce Kings could generate an attack.

The Express strong play saw them blank the Spruce Kings 14-0 in the first period in shots but the game remained scoreless. Despite the Express dominance, it was Prince George who had the best scoring chance of the period. Thomas Richter was hauled down cutting to the net and awarded a penalty shot. He would walk in and snap a shot off the post stick side on Clay Stevenson.

The 1st intermission did nothing to deter the Express dominance of play in the second period. Finally they broke through on the first BCHL goal from James Bohn when he let a wrist shot go from the left point that went in off the stick of Spruce Kings goaltender Jack McGovern.



It finally took until the 6:45 mark of the 2nd period for Prince George to be credited with a shot on goal on the powerplay from a one timer off the stick of Nick Poisson. I'd ask you to find me another high level hockey game where one team was held without a shot for the first 27 minutes of the game, but I really do value my time.

The Poisson shot came with Brad Ong in the penalty box. When he came out he rushed to the loose puck and cut to the net and jammed home his 3rd of the season for a 2-0 Express lead.

Once shaking off the goose egg on the shot clock the Spruce Kings tested Clay Stevenson a few more times. One of his best saves was on a breakaway by Preston Brodziak where Stevenson needed a second effort to swat a puck that was behind him over top of the net.

Danny Pearson - Photo courtesy of Damon James

Danny Pearson extended the Express lead to 3-0 converting a cross ice pass at the edge of the crease for a powerplay goal assisted by Greg Lapointe and Adam Trotman.

For most of the game early on it lacked much of a physical presence and emotion. But that changed late in the 2nd period when captain Drew Cooper and Carter Cochrane dropped the gloves after battling in the corner in the Express zone. Cooper was all over the place delivering shots over the top and upper cuts all the while mixing in rights and lefts.

Joe Borthwick was whistled for a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing in the 3rd period after making contact with Preston Brodziak.

Even while killing a major penalty things were going the Express way. Tyler Schleppe playing against his former team for the first time set up Danny Pearson on a 2 on nothing rush for his second of the game and a 4-0 Express lead.

Addison Macey - Photo courtesy of Damon James

There was very little that didn't go the Express way Sunday. One little gaffe behind the net midway through the third period allowed Preston Brodziak to beat Clay Stevenson on a wrap around to break the shutout bid.

Addison Macey dressed for his first game of the season. And he far and away delivered the best hit of the night crushing a Spruce Kings winner right at the Express blueline.

Cooper Connell capped off the win taking a pass from Greg Lapointe and beating McGovern on the backhand for Connell's first of the season.



The Express finished the game outshooting the Spruce Kings 35-13 to improve to 4-1 for the first time since 2012. They will head into next week sitting atop of the Mainland division standings on their own.

Merritt is in town on Wednesday night as the 5 game home stand continues.

EXPRESS ROLL OVER EAGLES

Jordan Schulting scored twice - Photo courtesy of Damon James 

In their highest offensive output since their season opener last season, the Express handed the Surrey Eagles a convincing 8-1 setback. The last time the Express scored 8 goals in a game was 100 games ago a 8-7 win at the South Surrey Arena to raise the curtain for the 2016-17 season.

The veterans certainly chipped in to the win. But the guys who get less of the headlines stole the show for their offensive contributions.

Nick Amsler had 2G, 1A
Photo courtesy of Damon James 

AP Nick Amsler playing in his 3rd game with the Express scored his first two BCHL goals and added an assist, Devon Mussio scored his first BCHL goal and added a helper, Lucas Wong had three assists and Haydn Delorme had a pair of helpers.

Right from the start the Express played fast and with purpose. It didn't take long for them to get the rewards.

Josh Wildauer fired a hard rink wide pass to Colby Pederson who danced past an Eagles defenseman and scored a snap shot past Mario Cavaliere at 1:18. The Eagles goaltender came into the game as the reigning BCHL player of the week after posting back to back shutouts over Langley and Cowichan Valley and was already being given the nickname "Super Mario".

Then some of the kids started to leave their mark on the game. Lucas Wong raced after a puck deep in the Surrey zone and from behind their net put a perfect pass into the slot on the tape of Nick Amsler who looked like a pure goal scorer dropping to his knee and snapping home a one timer for his first BCHL goal at the 3:00 mark.

It was 3-0 Express at the 11 minute mark. Jordan Schulting showed good patience at the blueline and took an extra moment to wait for traffic and walk the line before snapping home a wrist shot for his 5th of the season.

The penalty killing has been one area that has really tightened up in the last few weeks. Tonight they had another perfect night killing off all 5 Eagles powerplays in the first 32 minutes of the game. The Express have now killed 30 straight shorthanded situations.

BCHL goal scoring leader John Wesley and his 31 goals was back in the Eagles lineup after not playing when these teams met Saturday. It was a frustrating night for the league's top sniper who got some chances throughout the game and was unable to finish.

After a Wesley chance at one end, the Express quickly turned the play the other way and Troy Robillard joined the rush and buried his 4th of the season for a 4-0 Express lead. Robillard also had an assist.

Surrey's lone goal of the night came 1:10 after Robillard's goal as Ty Westgard snapped home his 10th of the season past Brock Hamm. That would be the only goal to get past the Express netminder who was solid with 27 saves.

The Express poured it on in the third period. Eric Linell converted a set up from Devon Mussio for a 5-1 lead at 2:30.

Then mid third Nick Amsler found a loose puck in front of the Surrey net to bury his second goal of the night to make it 6-1.

Head Coach Jason Fortier recognizing how well some of his younger players were going, rewarded them with some third period power play time. They didn't let the coach down. Right off a won face-off in the Surrey zone Amsler set up Wong in the slot whose shot was tipped home in front of the net by Devon Mussio for his first BCHL goal. It was a long wait for the Express defenceman who was dressed for his 96th career BCHL game Wednesday night.

Then just over a minute later Jordan Schulting put the finishing touches on the game scoring his second of the net burying a loose puck that Will Lawerence in the slot. That goal chased Mario Cavaliere after 8 goals in 28 shots.

The Express return to action Friday night when they will host the Nanaimo Clippers. They will see Surrey again Saturday night in Surrey.