SPOKANE, Wash. — 2019 had started well for the Chiefs as the team had won all 4 games of the New Year, enabling Spokane to remain within striking distance of second place Portland in the U.S. Division. The four game winning streak represented the longest win streak of the season for the Chiefs and the team hoped to finish off a 4 game home stand unbeaten as they hosted B.C. Division leading Vancouver and arch rival Tri City on back to back nights over the weekend before heading out on a 3 game road trip. Spokane did get bad news as center Eli Zummack, the second leading assist man on the club, was forced to sit out with a nagging injury to his lower leg. Zummack, third on the team in scoring, had a great game his last time out vs. Tri City, but the injury which he had played through the previous couple of weeks, deteriorated to a point he could no longer go for Spokane.
First up for the Chiefs were the Vancouver Giants on Friday. Vancouver had won Wednesday in overtime at Tri City and like the Chiefs, had won 4 straight entering their match up with Spokane. The two teams had not played since September 30th, when the Giants scored in the last minute to force overtime and then won in a shootout 5-4. Both teams personnel had turned over quite a bit since then, so it was going to be interesting how the two clubs stacked up. Spokane looked determined to reverse the September contest as Luc Smith's power play goal just 1:28 in gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. The Chiefs league leading power play made it 2 for 2 against the WHL's #2 penalty kill when Smith scored his second of the game on a tip at 6:27 to make it a 2-0 game. Nolan Reid would then score his 8th of the season on the Chiefs third power play of the first to put Spokane up 3-0 midway through the period. A Vancouver goal on a back hand that goalie Bailey Brkin would like to have back with less than a minute and a half to go brought the Giants within 3-1 after one.
As good as the first period was for Spokane, it was the exact opposite in the second. The Giants scored just 1:57 in to cut the margin to 3-2. The Chiefs then went back on their heels and stopped skating as the Giants scored at 6:11 and 8:40 to take a 4-3 lead after two periods. The two periods were complete contrasts, as Spokane now had to try to find their game again in the third. The Chiefs managed to do so early as Filip Kral scored just 4:12 into the period to tie the game up at 4 apiece. The defensive mistakes that plagued Spokane in the second would come back and haunt the Chiefs midway through the third as the Giants scored on a missed check and an ensuing odd man rush to re-take the lead at 5-4. Spokane pulled Brkin in the final 2 minutes, but gave up an empty netter after a turnover in the Vancouver end in the final minute as the Giants secured a come from behind 6-4 victory. It was a disappointing loss as the team let off the gas and lost their game after taking a 3-0 lead. It was a costly loss for Spokane as well, as the team remained 5 points back of idle Portand for 2nd place and had their lead cut to 5 points over Tri City after the Americans come from behind 3-2 shootout win over Seattle.
The Americans came to town chomping at the bit after that victory as they hoped to avenge the 8-3 pasting they took at the hands of the Chiefs the Saturday before in Spokane. The first period had both teams playing at top speed as they combined for 23 shots, but neither team was able to score as Tri City goalie Beck Warm and Chiefs goalie Reece Klassen were on their games from the first shot. The second period would be marked by the Chiefs failure to score on 3 power play chances, including a 5 minute major penalty on Tri City for a hit on Chief forward Cordel Larson, who had to be helped from the ice on a stretcher. Fortunately, Larson didn't suffer a major injury, but he will be unavailable for at least the next couple of weeks. The Chiefs were able to keep the Americans off the board through 40 minutes as Spokane out shot Tri City 30-15 through two.
In the third, Spokane would be out shot 16-6 as Tri City would get both power play chances. The Chiefs broke the scoreless deadlock when Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored on a breakaway just over 5 minutes into the period to make it 1-0 Spokane. Tri City would equalize on their second power play as a very fortunate bounce off the end wall came to Americans Parker AuCoin, who scored at 8:06 to send the game to overtime tied at one. Spokane got a great look from Ty Smith on a 2 on 1 in overtime, but Warm made the save to put the two teams in a shoot out for the first time this season. After a scoreless first round, Tri City got on the board on a goal from Kyle Olson. Anderson-Dolan kept the Chiefs alive with a goal in the third round to send the shoot out to sudden death. Neither team scored in the 4th round, but Tri City would win the game when Sasha Mutala scored in round 5 to give the Americans their 4th win in 6 games against Spokane this season, including 2 wins in Spokane.
The loss dropped the Chiefs 6 points back of Portland and just 4 ahead of Tri City for fourth in the division. It was an extremely disappointing weekend in the points column as Spokane garnered only 1 point when they should have probably had 4. With less than 25 games left in the regular season, everyyy point counts, and Spokane gave away 3 when they could least afford it. Now the mission will be to re-gather mentally and toughen up for a challenging 3 game road trip which begins Tuesday in Seattle. Spokane will then travel to Kamloops on Friday before wrapping up the roadie in Tri on Saturday. The travel will be as tough as the opponents on the ice, so the Chiefs will be tested throughout. I'll have the call for all 3 games on 1510 KGA on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, with the pre-game shows at 6:30 pm and the puck drops at 7:05 pm. Let's hope the Chiefs get back on track and we'll see you on the radio!
