A sloppy clearing attempt by Coquitlam Express goalie Carter Woodside cost his team a quick 1-0 deficit.
But he more than made up for it, stopping 38 of the next 39 shots to lead the Express to a 3-2 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs Saturday (April 9) at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex to tie their best-of-seven BC Hockey League playoff series at three wins each.
The decisive seventh game will be played Sunday (April 10) at the Chilliwack Coliseum.
Just 30 seconds into Saturday’s game, Woodside’s clearing attempt around the boards went right onto the stick of Chiefs forward Dawson Good who fired it into the wide open net for a quick advantage.
Lucas Lundy got Coquitlam back on even terms 7:11 later with a seeing-eye shot through a crowd of players jostling for position in front of Chilliwack goalie Grant Riley.
Kahlil Fontana put the home team up 2-1 less than five minutes into the second period, lifting a shot over Riley’s shoulder just as teammate Diego Buttazzoni stepped back onto the ice from serving a two-minute high sticking penalty.
Then it was Riley’s turn to be caught out of position as Coquitlam’s Christian MacDougall was able to fire the puck through the leges of a pair of Chilliwack defencemen covering for their goaltender who was down and out at the opposite side of the crease after denying a rush by Express captain Ryan Tattle.
Brett Rylance got one back for the Chiefs 2:56 into the third period, but Woodside shut the door after that and earned the game’s first star.
Once again the Express was outshot in the game, managing to direct 27 pucks at Riley. The Chiefs have had the shot advantage in every game of the series so far.
Sunday’s seventh game begins at 7 p.m.
