It’s been a rather busy start to the season for the Express. One thing they haven’t crossed off their BCHL Bingo card thus far is a trip to the island. That omission will be remedied tonight as they make a visit to Frank Crane Arena to take on the Clippers.
Nanaimo and Coquitlam have had almost polar opposite starts to the season. The Express are up atop the mountain in the Coastal Conference while the Clippers look up from its base. Nanaimo only have three wins to their name this campaign and are 10 points back of the Express so there are a few expectations for Coquitlam in doing business tonight. On paper this is a matchup that should be a win for the mainlanders but the last time that cover of a book was judged, the Express lost 6-2 to Okotoks. Nanaimo haven’t played against nearly the level of competition that Okotoks did to be placed in a similar record situation so the Clippers have alot to prove on home ice. They have also shown they can flex their offensive muscles when called upon as one of those three aforementioned wins was 9-5 against Surrey. Nanaimo will need to be better defensively overall tonight as their usual shot allowances will be a hinderance against the Express. Chazz Nixon has garnered a the majority of the starts this season, and sports a 3.57GAA. However, that number is misleading as the save percentage is still at .900 so he hasn’t been getting enough support from the D-core.
In the offseason these two teams made a deal that has significantly impacted both sides. Coquitlam originally had the rights to Lavery in the swap that sent Mathew Frost to Sherwood Park for the Nanaimo product (Lavery) and Nick Wellenreiter. The Express then traded the hometown kid to the Clippers in exchange for Cooper Wilson and the BCHL rights to Matt Lahey. Wilson has been a stalwart addition to the Coquitlam blueline and his leadership is evidenced by the “A” emblazoned on his jersey. On the flipside, Lavery has settled in well with Nanaimo, contributing five points in nine games.
The Express need to be on the attack from the onset this evening. They proved against a stingy Langley Rivermen side that they possess the ability to take games over with their offence alone. The five goal explosion from Sunday afternoon will be fresh in the minds of many so expect Nanaimo to be on their guard. Perhaps the biggest part of that avalanche of goals was the one scored by Jackson Krill. With 37 goals on his BCHL resume prior to this season, it was only a matter of time before Krill added his 38th. And on top of that, now the pressure is off to light the red lamp for the first time. Several opportunities have been a matter of inches away, so for him to get one to go was a turning point for this offence. The more guys that are enabled, the more dangerous this team will become.
Historically, the Clippers have held their own against Coquitlam with a 6-2 advantage over the past few seasons. It’s time to change that narrative.
Tune in on FloHockey to the “away” feed or, if you are so inclined to take a skip across the Georgia Strait, join us at Frank Crane Arena for the 7PM PST puckdrop.
– Ian Wilson
