SPOKANE, Wash. — As the final month of the regular season approaches, the Chiefs began a rugged stretch on the road that will see the team play all 6 teams from the Central Division over the next 2 weeks. Spokane began a 5 game road trip last weekend by splitting games at Portland and Tri City, but the Chiefs are arguably playing their best hockey of the season as they have won 7 of their last 8 as they headed into Alberta and Saskatchewan this week to play Lethbridge, Swift Current and Medicine Hat. Spokane was still without forward Brad Ginnell, who stayed back in Spokane to nurse a hip injury. The Chiefs also started the trip with defenseman Filip Kral sitting out the opener in Lethbridge to heal a minor injury suffered the previous game at Tri City Saturday.
First up was the second place club in the Central, the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Lethbridge had been ranked 10th in the CHL poll last week, before falling to receiving votes category this week. There's no question they are one of the top 4 teams in the East, so game one of this road trip was going to be a formidable task for Spokane. The Chiefs came out ready though, as Bear Hughes scored a power play goal almost 9 minutes into the game on a rebound of an Adam Beckman shot to put Spokane up 1-0. The assist by Beckman extended his assists scoring streak to 10 straight games, and would begin a huge night offensively for the WHL's leading scorer. Beckman would get his second assist of the night less than 4 minutes later when he set up Jack Finley on a net front rush and the Chiefs led it 2-0 after one.
Luke Toporowski made it 3-0 Spokane with his 21st of the season at 6:55 of the second period, but Lethbridge would score 2 goals in the final half of the period, including a goal with 10 seconds left, to cut the margin to 3-2 after two. Spokane came out in the third and re-established control of the game, as Beckman scored his league leading 42nd goal of the year 27 seconds in to give the Chiefs a 4-2 lead. Toporowski then scored his second of the night on a delayed penalty at 3:45 to put the Chiefs up 5-2. Lethbridge got back in the game with a goal just 18 seconds later though and the lead was down to 5-3. Goalie Lukas Parik stood tall from that point, and Beckman sealed the win with his second of the period into an empty net at 17:34 to cap off a 6-3 victory in game one of the Central swing. Spokane was out shot 44-28 in the game, but took advantage of every scoring chance they generated.
The Chiefs then headed into Saskatchewan for the second straight year as they traveled to Swift Current to face the Broncos, who were re-located into the Central after the Kootenay Ice moved to Winnipeg and the East Division this past season. Swift Current entered the game with the worst record in the league and had lost to Tri City Wednesday when the Broncos coughed up 4 goals in the third period in a 5-1 defeat. Spokane wasted little time getting things rolling on Friday, as Luke Toporowski scored his 4th goal in his last 3 games just 1:32 into the contest to make it 1-0 Chiefs. Swift would come back and tie the game at one when former Chief Hayden Ostir picked off a pass in the Chiefs zone and scored at 13:02. Spokane out shot the Broncos 18-10 in the period but had a tie game to show for it.
In the second, Spokane would take over the game. The Chiefs out shot Swift 21-7 in the period and would score 3 unanswered goals to take control. Adam Beckman got things started with a power play tally 2:54 in to give the Chiefs a lead they'd never lose at 2-1. The goal was Beckman's league leading 44th of the season and extended his points scoring streak to 11 straight games. Michael King then scored his 11th of the year at 9:27 to up the margin to 3-1. Ty Smith then capped the 3 goal frame with his 12th of the season two minutes later to give Spokane a commanding 4-1 lead heading into the third. The Chiefs would put up 15 more shots in the final frame, launching 54 shots on goal on the night, and would cap the scoring when Swift Current native Reed Jacobson scored his 4th goal of the season with 1:22 left to wrap up a 5-1 victory. It was a big night for Jacobson, who finished with a 2 point night in front of his friends and family, as the Chiefs moved to 2-0 on their Central Division trip.
Spokane didn't get any time to celebrate though, as the team had to turn around and play their 3rd game in 4 nights the following evening in Medicine Hat against a Tigers team fighting with Lethbridge for second in the Central. Medicine Hat had knocked off Tri City 4-2 at home the night before and had beaten the Chiefs in 3 of their last 4 meetings. The Chiefs were looking for their first win in 3 tries in the Canalta Centre as Spokane had not won in Medicine Hat since the 2013-14 season. Spokane got off to a great start as Leif Mattson scored just 4:39 into the game to put the Chiefs up 1-0 after one. Despite being out shot 25-13 in the first two periods, Spokane would strike again midway through the second when Michael King scored in his second straight game on a rebound of a Mattson shot to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead after two.
The Tigers would out chance Spokane 10-3 in the third, but would only get one goal on a fluky bounce off the end wall that evaded goalie Lukas Parik and was put into an open net with 2:08 remaining. The Chiefs kept the Tigers at bay from there, and Spokane would finish a perfect 3-0 through the Central Division swing with a 2-1 victory. Parik picked up 34 saves as Spokane was held to a season low 16 shots on net. The encouraging thing was Spokane had to play a lock down defensive style in the third, much like they will have to in the playoffs, and they passed the test against a very good Medicine Hat team that lost for just the 7th time in regulation on home ice this season. Spokane finished 4-1 on their 5 game road trip and have now won 10 of their last 11 in their best stretch of hockey of the year.
The Chiefs remain in third in the U.S. Division, but with the 3rd best record in the Western Conference and 5th overall in the league. Spokane will now head home as they host Seattle and Tri City this next weekend before heading back out on the road for 3 more games in the Central during the first week of March. The Chiefs will play the Thunderbirds Friday and the Americans Saturday with the puck drops set for 7:05 pm. I'll have the pre-game shows on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA on Friday and 94.1 FM the Bear and 790 KJRB on Saturday starting at 6:30 pm.
Let's hope the Chiefs keep it going at home this week, and we hope to see you at the rink!