Rookie goalie Ethan Simcoe stopped 32 of the 36 shots he faced to lead the Coquitlam Express to a 7-4 win over the Cowichan Capitals Friday at the Cowichan Community Centre.
The game was also the first BC Hockey League start for the 17-year-old netminder from Lac du Bonnett, MB.
Kicking off a brief two-game road trip to Vancouver Island, the Express struck quickly with goals by Jake Manfred and Gavin Giesbrecht before the game was a minute old.
Cowichan got one of those goals back later in the first period, but James Shannon and Kasper Walther-Sneve extended the visitor’s advantage to 4-1 in the second period.
Cowichan’s Eddie Romano halved Coquitlam’s advantage at 9:42 of the middle frame.
Jackson Krill made it 5-2 for the Express early in the third period and the game seemed well under control.
But a power play goal by Ronan O’Donnell with less than there minutes left in regulation time seemed to breathe new life into the Capitals, which have won only one game in five starts this season.
A minute later, Cowichan scored again to close to within a goal, but a pair of empty net goals by Logan Morrell and Tanner Attew sealed Coqutilam’s second victory of the season.
Manfre and Krill each had a goal and an assist to lead the Express offence, which fired 37 shots at Capitals’ keeper Cody Butikis.
The Express concludes its Island sojourn tomorrow in Victoria against the Grizzlies.
