Riley Wallack scored with 1:08 left in the third period to give the Langley Rivermen a 4-3 win over the Coquitlam Express Sunday at the George Preston Arena in Langley.
Wallack’s eighth goal of the season came less than three minutes after the visiting Express tied the game at 3-3 on a goal by Ray Hamlin.
The Coastal division leading Rivermen opened the scoring with a pair of unanswered goals in the first period.
But Coquitlam — mired in seventh place — battled back in the second period.
Ryan Tattle buried his sixth goal of the season after just a tick under three minute had been played and the Express were shorthanded. Kahlil Fontana then got the visitors even on a power play.
Andrej Kovacevic put the home team back in front 5:58 into the third period, before the sides exchanged goals later in the frame.
Coquitlam outshot the Rivermen, 39-31. Adam Manji took the loss, his sixth of the season.
The trip to Langley was not originally on the Express’ schedule. The team was supposed to be in Vernon and Cranbrook, while the Rivermen were set to play in Vernon, West Kelowna and Salmon Arm. But all of those games were cancelled as the BC Hockey League continues to struggle with transportation issues brought on by highway closures around the province after flooding and mudslides two weeks ago damaged many of the road links between the Lower Mainland and the rest of the province.
Last Tuesday the league announced it was removing all out-of-conference games for the rest of the season to minimize travel.
Coquitlam will be in Nanaimo for a game against the Clippers on Dec. 10 and on Dec. 11 the team visits the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
