For the first time in 10 games this BC Hockey League season between the Coquitlam Express and Victoria Grizzlies, the visiting team won.
Unfortunately, it happened at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
The Grizzlies defeated the Express 5-1 Sunday to win their best-of-seven opening round playoff series four games to two.
After a scoreless first period in which both teams fired 14 shots, Victoria took control with a pair of goals by Chase Pirtle and another by Reagan Hiscock. The visitors also outshot the Express 23-8.
Thomas Molson extended the Grizzlies’ lead to 4-0 seven minutes into the third period before the home team finally answered when Carson McGinley scored on a power play at 8:33.
A desperate attempt by Coquitlam coach Jeff Wagner to get his team back into the game by pulling Express goalie Andrew Ness for an extra attacker with more than six minutes left in regulation time failed to pay dividends when Tobias Pitka made it 5-1 by firing the puck into the empty net at 15:12.
Ness faced 46 shots in the Express net, while Coquitlam fired 37 shots at Victoria goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton.
The Express were missing several key players because of injury, including the team’s leading scorer in the regular season, Mason Kesselring.
The Grizzlies now await the winner of the series between the Chilliwack Chiefs and Prince George Spruce Kings.
The Spruce Kings, which only squeaked into the post-season on the last day of the regular season, forced a game seven in Chilliwack Tuesday night when it defeated the Chiefs 2-0 Sunday in Prince George to tie their series, 3-3.
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