RIVERMEN PREVAIL LATE IN TIGHT PLAYOFF LIKE BATTLE WITH EXPRESS

Tanner Versluis scored with 1:23 left in the third period to give the Langley Rivermen a 3-2 win over the Express. Click here for boxscore

The win improved Langley to 5-1 vs. the Express this season.

In the first 5 games of the 6 game home stand for the Express the games were more wide open which allowed the Express to pile up the offence with 4 wins in 5 games.

Friday was a lock it down, fight for your ice tight game where it matched the Express skill against the Rivermen will.

The Express bent in the opening half of the first period, but never broke and moments after killing off a Juliano Santalucia penalty, Ty Westgard set up Pito Walton in the slot whose shot was stopped by Braedon Fleming, but Regan Kimens buried the rebound to open the scoring.

Dallas Farrell kept up his productive play on this home stand taking feed in the slot and ripping a powerplay goal over the shoulder of Fleming for a 2-0 Express lead after 1.

Langley outshot the Express 12-10 in the first period, then in the second the Express tightened up their game in the second to the tune of opening a 8-0 lead in shots in the middle frame. But Fleming shut the door on the Express.

Once Langley got in position for their first shot late in the period, Daneel Lategan quickly rushed up the ice after the Express turned the puck over at the attacking blueline and Lategan's shot was stopped by Matthews but the rebound was buried by Riley Lanthier to make it a 2-1 game.

The third period set up for the Express needing to clamp down against a Langley team that used their physicality to slow down the skill of the Express. It was going to require finding a way to fight through the tight checking of the Rivermen to seal the win.

But slowly the Rivermen wore down the Express as the period ticked down.

At 12:22 Juliano Santalucia battling a bouncing puck in the Express zone eventually ended up behind the Express net where it was quickly fed out front to Daneel Lategan who tied it.

The chances for the Express in the third period were limited. Their best opportunity came to the stick of Christian Sanda who was stopped in tight with about 3 minutes to play.

Moments later Pito Walton was whistled for closing his hand on the puck after scooping a rebound off Kolby Matthews giving Langley a late powerplay.

Following a Langley time out a shot from the point by Jake Livingstone hit the glass then created a scramble opportunity for Tanner Versluis to jam in loose puck at the side for the Express net with 1:23 to play and the first Langley lead of the night at 3-2.

The Express did pull Matthews for the extra attacker and created scramble opportunities in the crease, but Fleming held on as he shut the door with 17 saves in the final 40 minutes to allow his team to claw back for the win.

Langley improved to 5-1 vs. the Express this season. The teams meet again Saturday night in Langley. 

CARLO FINUCCI INTERVIEW

Carlo Finucci was a member of the 2006 RBC cup champion Burnaby Express. Then in his 3rd season in the league he was the first player in Express history to win the BCHL scoring title with 102 points.

He then went on to a 4 year NCAA career with the University of Alaska Nanooks. He then went professional that included a stop in the ECHL with Las Vegas. He's now playing pro hockey in the EIHL with the Fife Flyers in Scotland where he's teammates with another member of the 06 Express Paul Crowder.

EAGLES AT EXPRESS HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of the Express 6-5 OT win over Surrey Wednesday.



Highlights produced by Eddie Gregory. 

FARRELL PLAYS OT HERO FOR EXPRESS VS. EAGLES

Dallas Farrell scored twice including the overtime winner as the Express won for a 4th time in 5 games, 6-5 over Surrey.  Click here for boxscore

The win comes despite the best efforts of former Express Jake Toor who scored his first BCHL hat-trick.

Like Sunday vs. Alberni Valley, the Express came out fast forcing the Eagles to struggle to keep up.

Connor Gregga opened the scoring converting a Jordan Schulting setup from the slot just shy of the 8 minute mark. Gregga's goal came after he fanned a great chance in the slot 20 seconds previous.

At the time of the goal the Express had a 7-0 advantage in shots. Surrey didn't register their first shot until 20 seconds after Gregga's goal. The shots finished 15-6 in favour of the Express.

An early second period defensive lapse allowed Jake Toor to find himself alone in front of Clay Stevenson and Toor slid home his first of the afternoon.

The goal gave Surrey jump and 1:23 later it was a 2-1 Surrey lead on a goal from Corey Clfiton snapping a shot past Stevenson following an Express turnover at the offensive blueline.

The spark Surrey received following the two quick goals set the stage for 90 seconds of Surrey pressure in the Express zone which very nearly resulted in a 3-1 Surrey lead.

Wednesday was the first time that Ty Westgard and Aaron White for the Express and Cole Edgerton for Surrey faced their former teams following the trade last Wednesday.

It was Westgard scoring his first Express goal on a scramble in front of the Surrey net for a powerplay goal to tie the game at 2.

That goal appeared to spark the Express who picked up their pace again and soon took their second lead of the game on a goal from Jared Power who snapped his 7th of the season after taking a Ty Westgard drop pass. The former Eagles captain finished with one goal and an assist against his former team. White and Edgerton didn't register points.

Dallas Farrell then capped off three Express goals in 4:24 taking a feed on the right wing and ripping a shot short side over the glove of Cole Dolan to give the Express a 4-2 lead.

The two goal lead appeared to be safe heading into the third period, then Jake Toor struck again. He hustled after a loose puck deep in the corner as the period was winding down and banked in his second of the game with one second left in the period.

Toor then capped off his first BCHL hat-trick in the opening minute of the third period hustling after  a puck that was flipped into the Express zone then snapping a shot through the pads of Clay Stevenson to tie the game at 4.

Reigning BCHL player of the week Regan Kimens did his part to help shake off the pesky Eagles. He took a pass from behind the net from Alex DiPaolo and snapped home his 15th of the season.

Midway through the period Holden Katzalay was whistled for a double minor high sticking penalty on Kabir Gill. And despite Express pressure, they couldn't extend their lead. They almost gave up the equalizer on the powerplay when Riley Hayles put a shot off the goal post on a two on one with Toor.

Corey Clifton tied the game at 5 with just over three minutes to play snapping a shot from the left wing boards that beat Stevenson on the short side.

The goal ensured for a 3rd time in 4 games the Express would go to overtime.

Holden Katzalay nearly won it for Surrey in the opening minute on a redirection in front of Clay Stevenson.

The first good chance for the Express was a backdoor pass by Josh Wildauer on the tape of Dallas Farrell, but the forward couldn't get the puck up high enough on Dolan who made the glove save.

Farrell wouldn't miss on a second chance moments later converting a set up from Alex DiPaolo on a similar looking play.

The Express finished the game outshooting Surrey 49-23. The Express weren't whistled for a single penalty this season while finishing 1 for 6 on the powerplay.

Langley will visit Coquitlam to cap off the 6 game home stand in the first game of a home and home with the Rivermen. 

KIMENS BCHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Coquitlam Express forward Regan Kimens has been named the BCHL Player of the Week for the week ending Jan. 13, the league announced Monday.

Kimens tallied four goals in his team’s four-game home stand this week, three of which were game-winners. He also added five assists, leading the Express to three wins and an overtime loss.

The 19-year-old Merrimack College commit started off his week by scoring the eventual game-winning goal and adding a pair of assists in his team’s convincing 8-1 win over the West Kelowna Warriors on Monday night. He was named the game’s second star. Two nights later, Kimens chipped in another two assists as Coquitlam dropped a 5-4 decision in overtime to the Merritt Centennials.

On Friday, the Concord, Ont. native scored the deciding goal just under four minutes into overtime and was named first star as the Express beat their division rivals the Chilliwack Chiefs 5-4. He finished off his impressive week on Sunday afternoon by potting another two goals, including his third game-winner of the week, and added one assist as the Express put up eight goals for the second time in a week and beat the Alberni Valley Bulldogs 8-4.

In his second season in the BCHL, Kimens sits fourth in team scoring with 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points in 38 games.

Honourable mentions:

Vernon Vipers G Aidan Porter: 3GP, 3W, 66 saves/70 shots, .943 SV%, 1.33 GAA
Victoria Grizzlies F Alex Newhook: 3GP, 3G, 3A, GWG, 1st star, 2nd star
Penticton Vees F Massimo Rizzo: 2GP, 2G, 3A, GWG, 1st star
Penticton Vees F Eric Linell: 2GP, 2G, 3A, 2nd star
Salmon Arm Silverbacks F Matthew Verboon: 3GP, 3G, 2A, 1st star

BULLDOGS AT EXPRESS HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of the Express 8-4 win over Alberni Valley Sunday afternoon.

Highlights produced by Eddie Gregory. 

EXPRESS OUTPACE BULLDOGS

Ty Westgard picked up four assists and Regan Kimens scored twice while adding a helper as the Express doubled Alberni Valley 8-4. Click here for boxscore

The Express started the game as if they were shot out of a cannon playing a high tempo pace that the road weary Bulldogs looked like they would have trouble keeping up with.

Defenceman Pito Walton followed the play right to the Bulldogs net and converted a Regan Kimens pass for a 1-0 Express lead just 30 seconds into the game.

And from there the Express were buzzing in the Bulldogs zone and it took until the 8 minute mark of the game before Alberni Valley was credited with their first shot, while the Express had 8 on John Hawthorne at the other end.

Alberni Valley pulled even taking advantage of an Express turnover at the Bulldogs blueline allowing Issac Tonkin-Palmer to be quickly sprung the other way and snapping a shot in off the glove of Clay Stevenson to tie the game at 1.

Jordan Schulting restored the Express lead late in the period, heading to the net and converting a tip in pass from Ty Westgard for Schulting's 2nd of the season.

Christian Sanda was robbed in the final minute of the period by John Hawthorne who stretched out as far as he could to keep the Express lead at just 2-1 after the Express outshot Alberni Valley 15-4 in the first period.

Dawson Tritt thought he tied the game at two on a powerplay goal he jammed in from under the glove of Clay Stevenson. After discussion by the officials, the call was overturned on coincidental contact.

Regan Kimens potted his first of the net converting from the slot for the second two goal Express lead of the night at 3-1.

The second period wasn't quite as uptempo as the first period. That allowed Alberni Valley to claw their way back in the game at moments.

Mitch Deelstra cut in the Express zone with speed and did a good job to fight off Jack Cameron then slide home his 15th of the season.

Josh Wildauer had the response for the Express just 30 seconds later snapping home his 22nd of the season from the right circle.

The pesky Bulldogs made it a one goal game for a third time two minutes later on a goal by Stephen Castagna.

It was at this point the Express would shake off the Bulldogs and pull away for good.

Regan Kimens from just inside the blueline took a drop pass and ripped home his 5th goal against Alberni Valley this season. Then exactly one minute later Dallas Farrell found himself alone in front of the net and took a backhand from Danny Pearson and Farrell put the Express up 6-3 after 2 periods.

Danny Pearson 5 minutes into the third scored for a second straight game in which he dressed going to the net and converting a set up from Farrell to make it a 7-3 game.

Ryan Novecosky surprised Clay Stevenson snapping a shot from the point for his first of the season to make it a 7-4 game.

That was followed by Alex DiPaolo finishing the scoring tipping home a heads up pass from Jack Cameron.

John Hawthorne then denied Regan Kimens second hat-trick of the season vs. the Bulldogs with a great glove save on a late third period powerplay.

The Express finished the game outshooting Alberni Valley 34-23. Both teams went 0 for 2 on the powerplay.

The win improves the Express to 3-0-1 in their 6 game home stand picking points in all 4 games so far. It will continue Wednesday afternoon when the Express host the Surrey Eagles.