The Port Coquitlam Trailblazers will have to batten down its defence and find some offence if the Pacific Junior Hockey League team hopes to extend its season past Sunday.
That’s when the Trailblazers host the Delta Ice Hawks at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre in the sixth game of their best-of-seven playoff series.
The Ice Hawks took control of the series, 3-2, with a 5-1 win over PoCo Thursday at the Ladner Leisure Centre. In the past two games, Delta has outscored the Trailblazers 14-2 and outshot them, 99-41.
After a fairly even start to Thursday’s fifth game of the series in which the Ice Hawks scored twice but had just a 13-12 advantage on the shot clock, Delta established its superiority in the second period by outshooting the visitors 26-8 and growing its lead to 4-1.
Markus Jack scored Port Coquitlam’s only goal, on a power play. It was his eighth goal in seven playoff games.
Keiran Caughran weathered the onslaught in the Trailblazers’ net, while Merik Erickson earned the win as the Ice Hawks keeper.
Sunday’s game starts at 7 p.m.
If a seventh game of the series is necessary, it will be played Tuesday, March 4, 7:35 p.m. at the Ladner Leisure Centre.
Express moving up
The Coquitlam Express moved within a point of fourth place in the BC Hockey League's Coastal Conference standings after a 4-1 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings Thursday at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
Rookie Thomas Zocco set up three goals to lead Coquitlam's offence.
The Express led 1-0 after the first period.
Following a scoreless second period, James Shannon doubled Coquitlam's advantage 2:45 into the third period. Prince George halved that with less than six minutes left in regulation time, but the Express salted away the win with a pair of late goals by Carson McGinley and Cam Russo.
Andrew Ness earned his 10th win in 16 games guarding Coquitlam's net. He made 22 saves while his teammates fired 21 shots at Spruce Kings goalie Charles-Edward Gravel.
The Express could move past fourth-place Cowichan Valley Saturday, when the Capitals visit Poirier for a game that starts at 6:05 p.m. Coquitlam then plays the Surrey Eagles on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Surrey.
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