The Express have punched their ticket to the second round of the playoffs with a 5-4 win over the Langley Rivermen to complete a four game sweep of the Mainland division semi final. Click here for boxscore
Game 4 was similar to the previous night with the teams devoting one period to trade goals back and forth. That would come in the second period.
The opening frame saw the Express push the pace early on looking to get the early jump on the Rivermen. They broke through late in the period when Connor Gregga opened the scoring for a second straight night jamming home a loose puck in the goal crease for a 1-0 Express lead.
The second period saw the Express ramp up their effort level looking to expand their lead. Despite a 5-1 advantage in shots to open the period, it was the Rivermen who got a break to pull even. To open an Express powerplay the Rivermen won the face-off and quickly sent the puck down the ice where Sean Bunting hustled to the puck and then cut to the net and beat Jack Watson with a backhand to pull the Rivermen even.
88 seconds later the Express took their second lead of the night as Massimo Rizzo from the top of the right circle snapping home his first of the night to put the Express into a temporary 2-1 lead.
Ryan Helliwell's point shot 1:11 later eluded Watson to pull Langley even at two on the powerplay.
Earlier in the period Ethan O'Rourke just missed a tap in on an Express powerplay. He didn't miss his second tap in opportunity converting a Will Margel pass for the third Express lead of the night.
Langley's answer to that goal came just less than four minutes later with Tanner Versus burying a rebound of a Ryley Wallack shot to tie the game at 3.
The Express counter punch to that goal came just 26 seconds later with Steven Bellini jumping into the rush and taking a Will Margel pass and snapping a quick shot past the glove of Jonathan Mor to give the Express a 4-3 lead heading to the third period. Will Margel had three assists in game 4 and 2 goals and 5 assists in the series.
Insurance came for the Express midway through the third as Rizzo burst out on a two on one break and decided to keep the puck and beat Jonathan Mor on the stick side to open a 5-3 Express lead. Rizzo had four goals and three assist in this series.
A two goal deficit wasn't going to deter Langley's hopes of keeping the series alive. The Express meanwhile dug in to do the little things right to preserve the lead. Josh Wildauer made two good plays on a penalty kill by getting in the way of Rivermen shots.
Then unfortunately for Wildauer a third shot block attempt of a Ryan Helliwell test deflected off Wildauer's stick from the high slot and it eluded Jack Watson to cut the Express lead to 5-4 with 7:22 to play.
That would be as close as the Rivermen would come. Jack Watson shut the door the rest of the way to finish with 27 saves to post his fourth win of the series.
The Express advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since their championship season in 2014. It's the third all time sweep of a series for the Express. They swept the Langley Hornets in the first round in 2006. Then in 2014 they swept the Vernon Vipers in the Fred Page Cup Final.
Now the Express will get some rest before they will open the second round against either the Chilliwack Chiefs or Surrey Eagles. That series is tied at two games apiece.
It was a heated opener of the Express and Rivermen Mainland division semi final. At the end of the night the BCHL's top team prevailed by a 5-1 score to take a 1-0 series lead. Click here for boxscore
Seemingly more often than not when the Express and Rivermen meet the tempers flare up. But Friday went to another level.
The Express went with a new look with Ethan O'Rourke centering Massimo Rizzo and Ryan Tattle. That line gave the Express a good mix of speed and sandpaper. For the most part it was Tattle on that line bringing the sandpaper and he was trying to hit everything he possibly could.
The energy translated to a quick start for the Express. Late in the first period that line had a notable shift of pushing the pace in the Rivermen zone. Massimo Rizzo brought the sandpaper by laying out Brendan Budy with a big hit along the boards. Tattle meanwhile fed the puck back to Joey Berkopec who opened the scoring with a wrist shot over the glove of Jonathan Mor. That capped off an opening period that saw the Express outshoot Langley 15-4.
The waters began to simmer between the teams in the second period. Massimo Rizzo was whistled for a double minor for high sticking. With the second penalty to Rizzo in effect, a Tanner Versluis tripping penalty took Langley off the poweprlay. That would become a consistent theme on this night.
One theme that carried over from the regular season into game 1 is the Express making Langley pay for undisciplined penalties. With Colten Kovich in the box for roughing after the whistle, Rizzo found the scoresheet in the manner he's known for. He ripped a wrist shot past a screened Mor for a 2-0 Express lead.
Langley took themselves off the powerplay for a second time in the middle frame on a Sean Bunting cross checking penalty. On the ensuing Express powerplay Will Margel tapped home a Danny Pearson pass at the edge of the crease for a 3-0 Express lead after two periods.
Things really got wild as the third period went on in game 1. There were too many scrums and roughing situations to all list in this space.
Christian MacDougall made his return to the lineup in game 1. He was right in the middle of a lot of things on this night. His agitating style had Langley players barking at him all night. And the gritty Express forward was eating it all up. Ryan Tattle was also in the mix of a lot of things on this night in addition to using his speed playing alongside Rizzo and O'Rourke.
There was only one fight on this night that saw Tyler Schleppe and Ryan Helliwell drop the gloves with just over 8 minutes to play.
Nick Carabin burying the rebound of his own wraparound just as an Express powerplay came to an end made it 4-0 Express. His goal snapped a 43 game goalless drought for Carabin. His last goal came all the way back on October 23rd vs. Langley.
Massimo Rizzo buried his second powerplay goal and picked up his 4th point of the night midway through the period to open a 5-0 Express lead. Rizzo's two powerplay goals surpasses his regular season total of one with the extra man this season. The Express finished 3 for 9 on the powerplay.
As the third period ticked down while the tempers kept on being riled up, Jack Watson was hoping his playoff debut would result in a shutout. Unfortunately he was denied it when Sean Bunting scored with 55 seconds to play. But that would be the lone blemish on Watson who opened the playoffs with 23 saves.
These teams will have a day off between games 1 and 2 to cool down before the series resumes Sunday night in Coquitlam.
Game 1 of the Mainland division semi final between the Express and the Spruce Kings went as most people expected, a low scoring affair that saw the BCHL's top defensive team come out on top 3-1 to take a 1-0 series lead in the best of 7. Click here for boxscore
The first period was a penalty filled affair. Prince George got the early jump on the Express scoring on their first powerplay on a cross ice one timer that was buried by Nick Poisson past Clay Stevenson.
Logan Neaton at the other end made some his best saves of the first period with the Express on the powerplay. Most notably denying Chase Danol on a rebound chance.
The Express couldn't strike on their first three powerplays of the opening period. Their 4th came late in the frame. Regan Kimens was denied twice on cross ice passes late in the opening period.
10-10 was the shot count after the first period.
Connor Gregga scored your typical type playoff goal in the opening minute of the 2nd period jamming a puck under Logan Neaton to tie the game at 1 just 45 seconds into the period.
Josh Wildauer came close to the giving the Express their first lead of the night on a rebound chance in close that was shut down by Neaton.
Layton Ahac put Prince George back in the lead just under 4 minutes after Gregga's goal with a shot from the left wing boards that sailed over the glove of Clay Stevenson.
That goal sparked a flurry of activity that saw Patrick Cozzi fan on a shot on a great chance in the slot.
Regan Kimens then delivered one of the best hits of the night in the neutral zone, then watched the play go into the Express end where Clay Stevenson made a glove save off Ben Brar.
Jordan Schulting rang a shot off the goal post with 4 minutes left in the 2nd period.
The second goal of the night was one probably Clay Stevenson would want to have back. But he responded afterwards with some of his best saves of the night to this point. He made a marvellous glove save off Nick Poisson to keep it just a 2-1 game through 2 periods.
Prince George put the clamp down on the game in the third period liming the Express to just 4 shots and they finished the game with 22 on the night.
Clay Stevenson kept the Express one shot away with a breakaway save off Dustin Manz on a shorthanded opportunity.
Manz got his revenge in the final minute sealing the game with an empty net goal.
Prince George outshot the Express 29-22. The Express went 1 for 5 on the powerplay while the Spruce Kings went 1 for 3.
Game 2 of the series goes Saturday night in Prince George.
