Cents Game Day – Merritt vs Coquitlam – Nov 12/21

Date – Friday, November 12, 2021

Game Time – Puck drop 7:00 pm, Pregame show 6:45 pm

Location – Nicola Valley Memorial Arena, Merritt BC

Broadcast – CKMQ-FM Q101 & BCHLTV

Coquitlam Express – 3-8-1-1

Merritt Centennials – 0-12-0-0

The Merritt Centennials return home Friday night to face the former assistant coach Brandon Shaw and Coastal Division’s Coquitlam Express still in search of win number 1 on the season.

The Cents enter play coming off easily one of their best efforts all year on Wednesday in Trail.

Playing shorthanded up front the Cents rolled the forward lines generating some quality early chances.

A bit of bad luck for Merritt lead to the opening goal of the game, as Will Bowman would have a skate issue, resulting in him colliding with Keegan Maddocks in the crease, leaving Zach Michaelis able to fire into the yawning cage to make it 1-0.

The Cents would keep pushing through the frame, including drawing a pair of penalties by Smokies captain Coalson Wolford. Score after 20 minutes 1-0 Trail.

Maddocks would stop 12/13 including a wild sequence where he would lose his helmet in the midst of making 3 good stops.

The Cents would begin the middle stanza on the powerplay, but fail to even register a shot on goal.

The Smoke Eaters would strike again a short time later, as the puck came to Cam Moger who’s shot was deflected on the way through beating Maddocks blocker side.

The Cents would stuck in their own zone for much of the second period, but would stand tall to keep the game at 2-0.

Late in the frame, the Smokies would go on 2-on-0 versus Maddocks, Josh Schenk would start and finish the give and go but Maddocks would turn it aside.

Maddocks stopping 25/27 through 40 minutes.

The first half of the final period would see chances both ways but neither team able to bulge the twine.

With under five minutes left in the contest Jerzy Orchard would break into the offensive zone fake and shot then bury the wrap-around to make it 2-1.

The Cents would continue to push, even pulling the goalie for a 6-on-5 but failed to find the equalizer.

Maddocks stopping 41/43 to earn third star honours in the loss.

The Express enter play tonight following a 3-0 win over Langley on Wednesday. Connor Mackenzie stopped all 33 shots he faced to record the shutout victory. Kahil Fontana lead the offense with a pair of third period assists.

Previous meetings;

The Merritt Centennials and Coquitlam Express haven’t faced each other in quite a whilte due to the pandemic. Their last matchup was in February of 2020, when the Express rolled to a 9-2 win. The Cents getting goals from former captain Rylan Van Unen and Daniel Tkac. Over the past 4 season, Merritt is 2-4-0-0 versus Coquitlam.

Blue Paint Battle;

Due to a lower-body injury to John Hicks, the Cents have been forced to run with Keegan Maddocks over the past few weeks. On Wednesday night Maddocks appeared to figure out his early season sruggles turning aside 41 of 43 shots in the loss. Maddocks has a .834 SV% and a 6.59 GAA.

With Hicks sidelined, the backup has been Colton Phillips-Watts.

Connor Mackenzie has been the starter in Coquitlam, already appearing in 10 games for the Express. Mackenzie posting a .874 SV% and a 3.89 GAA. Thier backup is Adam Manji, who is winless on the season at 0-4 with a .852 SV% and a 6.00 GAA.

Special Teams Comparison;

Express – PP 15.7% (17/18) PK 63.8% (18/18)

Cents – PP 11.5% (18/18) PK 69.4% (14/18)