SPOKANE, Wash. — The month of October was in a word, a disaster, for the Chiefs. After starting the season with 2 wins in September, Spokane went just 1-8 in October as they fell into last place in the U.S. Division and Western Conference of the Western Hockey League. Spokane's only win was in the middle of the month at home against Medicine Hat, but since that victory the club has lost a season high 5 straight. Three of those losses were at home in the Spokane Arena, where the team has gone just 1-5 to start the year. With the struggles on the ice, the Chiefs had fallen 6 points back of Tri City for 4th in the division and 2 points back of Victoria for 9th in the conference.
Spokane traded defenseman Graham Sward to Winnipeg the previous weekend, acquiring 4 draft picks and defenseman Jaren Brinson from the Ice. The Chiefs started November with a tough 3 games in 3 nights over the first weekend of the month by hosting Prince George Friday and Saturday before heading to division rival Portland on Sunday. The Cougars were first up as they came to Spokane after winning in Portland on Wednesday with a come from behind shootout victory over the Winterhawks. Prince George was second in the B.C. Division, sitting at the .500 mark at 7-7 coming into Friday's match up.
The Chiefs were without their second leading scorer Berkly Catton and their head coach Ryan Smith, who were off at the U-17 tournament in Vancouver. Forward Michael Cicek was also out injured, so Spokane was down to 11 forwards and 7 defensemen as they took on the Cougars in game one Friday night. Much like previous games in October, the Chiefs found the penalty box early and the Cougars took full advantage as they scored on the power play just 2:23 into the game to take a 1-0 lead. Spokane bounced right back though as Chase Bertholet scored his team leading 5th goal of the season midway through the period to bring the Chiefs even at 1-1 at the end of the first period. Spokane outshot Prince George 16-7 in the opening period and played one of their better periods of the season.
In the second, Spokane turned the puck over on the rush and the Cougars went on the power play. Prince George scored off the odd man rush and took a 2-1 lead just 1:50 into the period. Then the key part of the game unfolded midway through the period. A shot from the left wing hit Chiefs goalie Cooper Michaluk in the shoulder and the referee blew the play dead as the puck hung up in the jersey and then fell to the ice after the whistle. The Cougars tapped the loose puck into the net right after the whistle and the call of no goal was made. The officials then huddled up and called the video review judge. After the conversation, the officials ruled a goal for PG and explained that the puck "would have gone in" if it had not been for the whistle. Which was absolutely incorrect. Just watch the video. Pictures don't lie. Later, the explanation was the goal was scored as the whistle was blown. Also incorrect. The shot on net clearlyyy came after the whistle. It wasn't a good night at the office for the referees making the call. The call turned the momentum of the game completely.
The Cougars then scored just over a minute later to expand the lead to 4-1 and then scored on a penalty shot late in the second to go ahead 5-1, putting the Chiefs in a huge hole. Spokane would convert on the power play on a Raegan Wiles goal in the final second of the period to cut the margin to 5-2 after two, but the damage was done. Prince George would score twice in the third as Spokane managed just 8 shots in the period as the Cougars skated off to a 7-2 victory in the first meeting between the two clubs. The loss was damaging to the Chiefs in the standings as well, as Tri City won at Brandon to take an 8 point lead over Spokane for 4th in the division. The Chiefs remained 3 points back of 8th place Kelowna and Victoria for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Spokane had a lot of positive moments in game one, but critical mistakes with the puck and the penalty kill going just 1 for 3 cost the Chiefs yet again. The Chiefs looked to turn that around in game 2 with the Cougars the next night at the Arena as they hoped to snap their season high 6 game losing streak. Mason Beaupit was back in net for Spokane as he sought his first win of the season. Beaupit and the Chiefs would keep the Cougars off the scoreboard in the first period as Spokane and their opponent played the first scoreless opening 20 minutes in a game this season. Spokane outshot Prince George 17-8 in the frame but the Chiefs failed to capitalize on two power play chances.
The Cougars broke through with a goal 3:45 into the second period on a net front rebound, and then won a puck battle on the end wall as Chase Wheatcroft scored his 3rd goal in 2 nights late in the period to put Prince George ahead 2-0. Spokane responded right back as Carter Streek scored his first goal of the season at 17:11 to bring the Chiefs within 2-1. Sixteen year old Cole Wadsworth scored his first career point with an assist on Streek's tally. The Chiefs had a chance to tie the game on the power play late in the second, but a penalty on Spokane on a PG breakaway led to a penalty shot and the Cougars Riley Heidt converted in the final minute of the period to put Prince George up 3-1 after two.
It was a tough goal to swallow for the Chiefs but they would come right out in the third and cut the margin to 3-2 as Cade Hayes snapped home his second goal of the year just 52 seconds into the period to put Spokane right back into the game. Spokane put Prince George on the power play only 2 times in the game, a marked improvement in their discipline from the previous night, but the second penalty kill proved costly for the Chiefs in the third. A blown coverage allowed Wheatcroft to walk in with the puck between the circles and he scored his second of the night and 4th in two games, less than 2 minutes after Hayes goal to give the Cougars a 4-2 lead. Back would come the Chiefs again as Tomasso DeLuca followed his own shot and scored on the rebound 4:11 into the third to bring Spokane back within 4-3.
Unfortunately, the comeback would end there as a shot from the right corner eluded Beaupit with just 6 minutes left and Prince George scored their second straight win over the Chiefs with a 5-3 victory. Spokane outshot the Cougars 43-28 in the game and had 3 of the 5 power play chances, but failed to score in 3 opportunities while PG went 1-2 with the man advantage. The Chiefs 7th straight loss was a classic case of too little, too late as the team remained 8 points back of Tri City for 4th in the division and were now 5 points back of Kelowna for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West.
The weekend didn't get any easier either for Spokane as the team took the all night ride to Portland to face the division co-leading Winterhawks in a Sunday tilt in the Rose City. Portland was coming off back to back wins over rival Seattle and were off to a 10-1-1-1 start to put themselves 16 points up on the Chiefs entering Sunday's meeting. Portland knocked off the Chiefs in game 5 of the season back in early October in Spokane with a 5-2 win and had beaten the Chiefs in 11 of the last 13 meetings, including going a perfect 6-0 in Portland last season. Beaupit would be back in net Sunday as a good start was going to be essential to Spokane snapping their 7 game skid.
A good start was the last thing that happened for the Chiefs as Portland jumped out to a 4-0 lead just 13.5 minutes into the game. The Winterhawks scored 3 power play goals on their first 4 attempts as the Spokane penalty kill continued to flounder in the early part of the season. Beaupit's night would come to end as well after the 4th goal as Cooper Michaluk relieved Beaupit. The Chiefs seemed to get a spark after the goalie change as Raegan Wiles scored his 5th goal of the season with 3 minutes left in the period to bring Spokane within 4-1 after the first. Despite being dominated in the opening 20 minutes, the Chiefs were still very much in the game and would prove that point in the second period.
Portland started the second on the power play, but the Chiefs would seize the initiative as Blake Swetlikoff scored short handed just 42 seconds into the second to cut the Portland lead to 4-2. The goal jump started the Chiefs to their biggest offensive period of the season. Spokane then got a 4 minute power play after a high sticking penalty on the Winterhawks and the Chiefs converted the first half of the double minor as Ty Cheveldayoff scored at 4:14 to bring Spokane within 4-3. Portland would score short handed just 32 seconds after Cheveldayoff's goal to re-take a two goal lead at 5-3. Back would come the Chiefs on the power play as Wiles would score his second goal of the game at 5:26 to put Spokane back within 5-4. Carter Streek would bring the Chiefs back even with a goal in his second straight game at 15:02 to knot the score at 5-5. Portland got one power play chance over the final 40 minutes and they would capitalize on that opportunity with less than 2.5 minutes left in the period as the Hawks scored their 4th power play goal of the game to take a 6-5 lead. Once again the Chiefs answered as Cheveldayoff scored his second goal of the period 1;20 later as Spokane would tie the contest once again at 6-6 as the teams headed to the third period.
Spokane had put a season high 5 goals in the period and definitely carried the momentum moving into the third. Portland would stymie it though as they scored just 2:17 into the final frame to re-take the lead at 7-6. The Winterhawks held the Chiefs at bay for most of the rest of the third, turning away a Spokane power play and forcing the Chiefs to pull Michaluk in the final 2 minutes to put an extra attacker on the ice. The extra skater would pay off for the Chiefs in the final minute as Cheveldayoff finished off his first career hat trick with a goal at 19:25 of the period to tie the game at 7-7 and send the contest to overtime. In the OT, neither team was able to score as the Chiefs outshot Portland 6-3 in the extra 5 minutes.
For the first time this season, Spokane went to a shootout. Neither team scored in the first round, but Portland would score in the second to go up 1-0 heading to the third and final round. Raegan Wiles, who scored a career high 5 points on 2 goals and an assist, kept the Chiefs alive by scoring in round 3 to even things at 1-1. Portland though would score in round 3 on Michaluk to win the shootout 2-1 and take the game 8-7. The loss extended the Chiefs losing streak to 8 in a row and Spokane remained 8 points back of Tri City for 4th in the division and 5 back of Kelowna for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The effort was terrific for Spokane though and showed what this team is capable of doing when they play their team game. The penalty kill is still a major issue for Spokane as it went just 2 for 6 in Sunday's game and just a paltry 4 for 11 over the weekend.
Spokane will still be without their leading center Berkly Catton and head coach Ryan Smith next week as they continue play at the U-17 tournament in Canada. The Chiefs will return home next weekend for a brief 2 game homestand as they host Seattle and Tri City next Friday and Saturday. I'll have the call on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA with the pre-game shows at 6:30 pm and the puck drops at 7:05 pm from the Spokane Arena. Let's see if the Chiefs can finally break back through into the win column and we hope to see you at the rink!
