Coquitlam Clash

Chilliwack Chiefs (4-2-0-1) Vs. Coquitlam Express (6-2-0-0)

(Poirier Sports & Leisure Centre – 6:30 pre game show/7pm faceoff on 89.5 The Hawk)

An important early-season Mainland Division weekend begins for the Chilliwack Chiefs Friday in Coquitlam against the Express. Chilliwack enters this game with some momentum, having won their last two games over Powell River, and Surrey. Last Friday’s effort against the Kings was the team’s best of the season, and they rallied around goaltender Josh Halpenny making his first start in Surrey to erase an early 2-0 deficit before Luke Esposito’s double overtime winner led to a happy bus on the way back home.

Coquitlam was projected to be one of the stronger teams in the Coastal Conference this season, and they’ve looked the part thus far, winning six of their first eight games, the best start in franchise history. Jon Calvano’s team responded to a dissapointing home loss to the Eagles September 28th with a pair of impressive victories on the island over Victoria and Nanaimo.

THINGS I’M KEEPING IN MIND:

– While the Chiefs earned the W in Surrey last Sunday, they did not get off to a very good start in the first period against the Eagles, and the game could have gone sideways very quickly. Coquitlam boasts some talented veteran forwards with John Siemer, Alex Kerfoot, Brady Shaw, and Mitch Nardi who can all produce. As cliche and boring as it sounds, the Chiefs have to establish their style in the first ten minutes, which will allow them a few more bounces to begin the game – something that didn’t happen in Surrey off the bat.

– I’ll just go ahead and compare the numbers between the weekend’s probable starters in goal to this point in the season:

Mitch Gillam (Chilliwack) 1.81 GAA/.953 SV%/1 shutout/3 wins in 6 starts

Cole Huggins (Coquitlam) 1.31 GAA/.959 SV%/2 shutouts/6 wins in 7 starts

– Soooo…Yeah. Pretty close. Go figure though – In the meeting between these two teams late in last year’s regular season in Coquitlam, Gillam was pulled, and Huggins stayed on for all six against in a wild 6-6 tie. Sports are funny sometimes.

– The Chiefs have killed 14 straight penalties going into this one. The only team in the league with a better penalty kill percentage wise than Chilliwack? Coquitlam. Special teams could certainly play a factor in both games of the home and home when you consider how close they are:

Special Teams:

Chilliwack – Powerplay – 22.86 %/Penalty Kill – 92.31%

Coquitlam – Powerplay – 22.50 / Penalty Kill – 94.59%