REMPAL SCORES HIS 50TH IN CLIPPERS WIN OVER EXPRESS

Sheldon Rempal scored his 50th of the season - Photo courtesy of Damon James

Sheldon Rempal scored his 50th goal of the season and Devin Brosseau scored twice as the Nanaimo Clippers dropped the Express 5-2 Sunday afternoon. Click here for boxscore

The loss was the third straight for the Express all at home after starting their seven game home stand with a three game winning streak.

Mat Michie - Photo courtesy of Damon James

The Express knew they had to keep a close eye on the line of Rempal, Devin Brosseau and Spencer Hewson. As a result they were matched up most of the night against the Mat Michie, Jack Surowiec and Cam Bertsch line. That line did a good job getting in their face and limiting their chances in the first period.

A hard fought and evenly played first period came to an end scoreless.

It was a much different story in the second period.

Will Reily opened the scoring for Nanaimo on the power play pinching in from the right point.

This game was one of the more emotional games seen in the BCHL this season. As a result there were plenty of penalties.

Two quick Nanaimo infractions gave the Express a 5 on 3 power play for 1:41. Just 30 seconds into the power play the Express pulled even as Charlie Barrow's point shot was tipped past Evan Johnson.

50 seconds later still on the power play the Express struck again. Jackson Cressey sent the puck down low to Austin McIlMurray who zipped a pass across to Colton Kerfoot who buried it giving the Express their lone lead briefly.

1:11 after Kerfoot's goal, Rempal and Brosseau broke out on a two on one, with a chance to snap home number 50 on his stick, Rempal dished a perfect pass to Brosseau who converted to tie the game at two.

Alex Ambrosio - Photo courtesy of Damon James

Then on Brosseau's next shift he struck again. His original shot deflected wide of the Express net. He then picked up the puck behind the net and bounced it in off Tyger Howat to restore Nanaimo's lead at 3-2.

There were a number of lengthy scrums and pushing of shoving at various times after the whistles in the game. One late in the 2nd period resulted in a Nanaimo power play.

That power play saw Devin Brosseau set up Sheldon Rempal who scored his 50th goal of the season in his 45th game giving the Clippers a 4-2 lead heading into the third period.

The Express did strike twice on the power play. But they allowed other key opportunities to slip through their hands that could have helped their cause. They had back to back powerplays in the opening 5 minutes of the third period but were unable to score and cut into the Clipper lead. Then after another scrum in front of the Clippers bench resulted in the Express receiving a second lengthy two man advantage this time for two minutes but they couldn't repeat their second period magic.

Mitch Newsome - Photo courtesy of Damon James

Gavin Gould rounded out the scoring in the third period bouncing the puck in off Tyger Howat for his first Clippers goal in similar fashion to Brosseau's second of the game.

Evan Johnson in the Nanaimo crease had a very solid night finishing with 37 saves to earn the victory.

The seven game home stand for the Express wraps up Friday vs. the Wenatchee Wild with the Express looking to come out of it with a winning record. 

COREY MACKIN ALL 50 GOALS VIDEO

All 50 goals by Corey Mackin last season in one video.

Click here to see video with music



Another video I put together with some highlights of returning players.



Clearly I have too much time on my hands. See what happens when I don't have NHL hockey to watch.

MACKIN GETS 100TH POINT AND 50TH GOAL IN EXPRESS 5TH STRAIGHT WIN

Corey Mackin picked up his 100th point and 50th goal all part of a 4 point night in a 6-4 Express win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The win extended the Express winning streak to 5 straight overall and 8 straight on home ice. Click here for box score

Mackin finished with two goals and two assists and now has 103 points on the season.

The BCHL scoring leader entered the game sitting on 48 goals and 99 points. Mackin and his line mates Brett Supinski and Brendan Lamont were flying early and it was clear right away that they were determined to make sure Mackin hit his milestones on this night.

Mackin got the first milestone out of the way early as he set up Brendan Lamont who scored his 25th of the season to open the scoring at 2:53. The goal was the 100th point for Mackin. For Lamont that's his 5th goal in his last 4 games. Lamont extended his point streak to six games with 5 goals and 4 assists in that time after finishing with 1 goal and 2 assists.

Despite no playoffs for the opposition, the Capitals battled hard all night. They quickly tied it less than two minutes later on a goal by Ryan Burton.

Every shift the line of Mackin, Lamont and Supinski on the ice they were creating quality scoring chances for the Express. Lamont came inches away from his second of the period by ringing a shot off the underside of the crossbar midway through the first period.

Mackin wouldn't be sitting on 100 points for long as he scored his 49th of the season at 11:02 to restore the Express lead.

Again however the Caps wouldn't go away as Darien Craighead came down the right wing and scored on a wrist shot that trickled through Braden Krogfoss at 14:10.

Ryan Burton added his second of the night with just over four minutes remaining in the second period finishing off a 3 on 1 rush in the Express zone.

The lead only lasted 11 seconds as the line of Michael Merulla, Brendan Gulka and Owen Stout went to work and off the face-off Stout scored on a rebound at the side of the net following an Austin Anselmo shot to even the game at three. That goal would be the first of a very solid night for that line for the Express.

Luke Santerno gave Cowichan their second lead of the game just past the 12 minute mark of the third period converting a set up from Darien Craighead.

Like the last Capitals lead this one didn't last long either. And like their previous lead it was the line of Gulka, Stout and Merulla pulling the Express even again. This time the response came 24 seconds later on a goal by Brendan Gulka. That line combined for 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points. Stout and Gulka have now compiled 2 goals and 3 assists during a 4 game point streak, Michael Merulla has 1 goal and 3 assists in his last four outings.

52 seconds after Gulka's goal the Express took the lead on a goal from Brett Supinski who scored his 47th of the season on a neat set up from behind the net by Brendan Lamont. Supinski finished with 1 goal and 3 assists. He now has 47 goals and 97 points this season.

Then in the dying moments Barry Wolff sent out his big guns to protect a one goal lead first with Lane Micahsiw on the bench for the extra attacker. The puck came to Lamont at the Caps line who slid the puck across to Mackin to hit the empty net for his 50th of the season.

Mackin becomes the third player in Express history to score 50 goals joining Kyle Turris who scored 66 on 2007 and Brodie Reid who scored 52 the next season. Both when the franchise was based in Burnaby. Mackin's 103 points now puts him 3rd all time amongst Express top season point producers surpassing Carlo Finucci's 102 in 2008 the only other time the Express have had a scoring champion.

Up next on the list is Tyler McNeely who had 104 points in 2007 teaming up with Kyle Turris that year who set the record with 121.

Mackin becomes the first player since Mitch McMillan to score 50 goals in the BCHL season when McMillan scored 61 in 2010 for Alberni Valley. He's also the first player to get 100 points in a season since Beau Bennett, Denver Manderson (PEN) and Mark Zengerle (SA) also in the 2010 season.

Up next the Express will conclude the regular season with a home and home with the Chilliwack Chiefs starting Friday in Coquitlam.