Adam Rockwood has made it his business to feed the puck to his Coquitlam Express teammates. Because he was so good at it, he led the B.C. Hockey League in assists with 61 this season.
Well, as the 18-year-old Wisconsin recruit proved at the Coliseum Wednesday to the Prince George Spruce Kings, hes not too shabby as a finisher for the highest-scoring team in the league.
But it wasnt a rocket shot or nifty deke that Rockwood unleashed as the gamewinner in a 3-2 decision over the Kings that evened the best-of-seven Mainland Division semifinal series at a game apiece.
It was a bit of a fluke, but it counted.
Rockwood jumped on a loose puck at the Kings blueline, faked a slapshot as he drove wide to the net and his slow-moving pass attempt slid through the legs of Kings goalie Alex Murray and into the net with 11:27 gone in the third period.
The Express then leaned on goalie Gordie Defiel to do the rest and he was flawless in the final period, making 14 of his 39 saves to preserve the victory.
Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series will be played Friday and Saturday in
Coquitlam.
The Express got off to a great start and had the Kings on their heels, going right to the attack with sustained offensive pressure that resulted in a goal just 43 seconds in.
Canon Pieper spun away from his check in the slot and let go a high shot that beat Murray.
The Express doubled the lead at the 10:58 mark when defenceman Marc Biega picked up his second of the playoffs, a long shot from the point that got through a screen.
Justin Rai brought the Kings back within one with a wrist shot that found a hole behind Defiel, 26 seconds after Biegas goal.
Murray bailed the Kings out of a shaky start to the second period with three quality saves in the opening minute.
The Kings eventually found their sea legs again and Brogan OBrien converted a 2-on-1 chance with Braiden Epp to even the count, 2-2 with 3:03 gone in the second.
If not for Murray, a successful 5-on-3 penalty kill by the Kings, and a handful of missed nets on golden opportunities in the second period, the Express easily could have been up by two or three heading into the third period.
The Kings had two power-play chances early in the third period but failed to get any dangerous shots on Defiel.
It was just one of those nights for a snakebitten Kings team that never seemed to firing on all cylinders.
LOOSE PUCKS: The Kings were without their captain and top-line centre Bryant Christian.
The 20-year-old from Moorhead, Minn., took a puck in the mouth in the second period of Tuesdays game and lost four or five teeth and got a cut lip.
The Kings were already missing Christians usual left winger, Brent Lashuk, who is done for the season with a knee injury.
Christians absence was noticeable especially in the face-off circle, where Coquitlam won a majority of the draws.
The Kings went 7-1-1 head-to-head against Coquitlam in the regular season.
The Surrey Eagles beat the Langley Rivermen 4-3 Wednesday in Langley to tie the other Mainland semifinal 1-1. Nathan Renouf notched the winner at 13:59 of the third period
