Last weekend, the Coquitlam Express rolled into town for a two-game B.C. Hockey League set and the Kings responded by taking three of a possible four points.
Well guess who's back? Loaded with eight NCAA recruits and minus one suspended forward, the Express will line up again to face the Kings at the Coliseum tonight (7 p.m.) and Saturday.
Based on the rough stuff that happened last weekend, the teams may be openly hositle toward each other in what could be a possible BCHL playoff preview.
For tonight's game, Express defenceman JD Cotroneo is back from a two-game suspension. He was ejected from Saturday's game 1:37 into the third period and given a major boarding penalty for his hit on Spruce Kings defenceman Danny Kiraly. Kiraly suffered a mild concussion when he hit the boards and was cut for eight stitches above his eye.
Kiraly cleared concussion protocol tests this week but won't play this weekend. In his place, the Kings have called up six-foot-five, 215-pound Prince George minor hockey product Jordan Low from the 100 Mike House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Hockey League.
Cotroneo, meanwhile, missed Sunday's game and was held out of the lineup Wednesday night in Surrey, where the Express lost 5-2 to the Eagles.
D Zach Hodder, 20, also missed the Surrey game as his one-game punishment for cross-checking Kings D Karan Toor on Sunday.
Express F Joey Santucci received a two-game suspension after he was tossed out of Wednesday's game late in the game for checking from behind. He won't play this weekend in Prince George.
While it's well-established the Spruce Kings and Express don't like each other, Kings head coach Dave Dupas says there's too much at stake for the players to stray too far outside the rules of hockey.
"I'm predicting that none of that stuff is going to go on this weekend," said Dupas. "Everybody's been reprimanded and they're sending at least one referee up here and I'm sure he will be instructed to keep a close rein on things. Both teams can't afford to be getting stupid and losing guys to suspensions come down the stretch. They are going to be intense games; they will be hard physical battles."
Now second in the Mainland Division, the Kings (26-15-3-2) could put some more distance between themselves and the third-place Express (23-20-2-3). Prince George is six points ahead of Coquitlam with two games in hand and still has a shot at first place. The Kings trail division-leading Langley (30-12-2-5) by 10 points but have played three fewer games than the Rivermen.
"Last weekend coming in [the Express] were four points behind us and they could have caught us and they're still within striking distance," said Dupas. "They could pick up four this weekend and be only two back, but if we sweep the weekend we go 10 points up and they'll have eight games to play and we'd have two games in hand and keep ourselves in the hunt for first. This is basically an eight-point weekend and we have to be ready."
