SPOKANE, Wash. — The Chiefs were hoping the first month of 2023 would lead to a turnaround in the club's season and lead them back into the playoff race in the Western Hockey League's Western Conference. January had been less than kind though, as Spokane had gone just 2-6 entering the last week of the month. The club now had 3 more chances to improve their playoff standing, and they had to. Spokane was 10 points out of the final playoff spot behind Victoria and Kelowna with only 26 games remaining in the season. The Chiefs had shown some hope with a 6-3 home victory over Victoria the previous Saturday, but that optimism had been flattened with a 6-1 loss at Portland the following Monday. Spokane would enter the final weekend of the month with a demanding 3 games in 3 nights as they would face division foes Seattle, Tri-City and Portland.
First up would be the division and conference-leading Seattle Thunderbirds, as Spokane welcomed them to the Spokane Arena for the final time this season. Friday's contest would be the 6th of the 7-game season series, and the Chiefs had dropped the first 5 to the T-Birds, being outscored 31-15. Spokane had battled Seattle in the last two meetings between the two, dropping 7-5 and 6-5 decisions in the first two games after the Christmas break on December 27th and 28th. The Chiefs were hoping to draw upon those close calls as they took on Seattle in the next-to-last meeting between the two this season.
As they had in most of the previous five games, the Thunderbirds took control early as two goals in the first half of the first period staked Seattle to an early 2-0 lead. Spokane would get two power-play chances in the first and would capitalize on the first as Chase Bertholet scored his team-leading 21st of the season at 15:19 of the period to get the Chiefs within 2-1. Unfortunately for Spokane, Seattle would answer right back just 1:01 later to take a 3-1 lead into the second period. The T-Birds would extend the margin to 3-1 just under 7.5 minutes into the second period but back would come the Chiefs as Bertholet scored his second of the night at 15:15 to bring Spokane within 4-2. Seattle would once again answer quickly with a goal only 44 seconds after Bertholet's tally to take a 5-2 lead into the third.
Any chance of a Chiefs comeback in the third would be quickly put the rest as Seattle scored 6 seconds into the period and again at 2:26 to put Spokane away with a 7-2 victory. Spokane has now dropped all 6 meetings with the Thunderbirds this season as they've been outscored 38-17 over the six contests. The two clubs have just one more meeting with that coming on Feb. 5 in Seattle. The good news for Spokane was they didn't lose any ground in the conference standings as both Kelowna and Victoria lost, keeping the Chiefs 10 points out of playoff spot. The team then shifted focus as they headed on the road for their second game of the 3-game weekend as they visited rival Tri-City on Saturday. The Americans had won the night before at home over Everett 2-1, as the Ams moved past the Silvertips into third place in the division.
The last time the Chiefs had faced the Americans was a memorable gut-punch defeat in Kennewick on New Year's Eve as Spokane blew a two-goal lead in the final 3 minutes and dropped a 7-6 overtime decision. The Chiefs had dropped 5 of 6 games since that contest, so Spokane was hoping to turn things around in the winning direction as they faced the Ams on their home ice in the 6th match-up of the season between the two. Tri City had won 3 of 5, including both games on their home ice, so Spokane was hoping to pick up a win in Kennewick and even the season series. The Americans had not lost in regulation since dropping a 2-1 decision in Spokane to the Chiefs on Dec. 30.
The two teams played a fairly even first half of the first period before the Americans broke the ice on their first power play of the game. The league's leading scoring defenseman, Lukas Dragicevic, scored from the point midway through the period to give the Ams a 1-0 lead after one. The second period would be the deciding one as the Americans scored early and often to take control of the game. A tip-in, followed by another power-play goal in the first 6.5 minutes of the period gave Tri-City a 3-0 lead. Dragicevic's second goal of the night at 13:24 made it a 4-0 game and then another power play tally in the final minute of the period gave the Ams a commanding 5-0 lead heading into the third.
Spokane started the final period on the power play and they would convert the man advantage for the first time in 4 tries as Carter Streek scored his career-high 11th goal of the season 1:26 in to put the Chiefs on the board at 5-1. The club then made it 2 for 2 on the power play as Grady Lane scored his first goal since Oct. 29 on a tip of a Kooper Gizowski shot to bring the Chiefs within 5-2. It was as close as the team got though, as Spokane failed to capitalize on two more power play chances and gave up a shorthanded empty-net goal in the final two minutes as Tri-City won their second straight against the Chiefs and handed Spokane their 3rd loss in a row with a 6-2 victory. Spokane outshot Tri 36-27 overall, including a 29-16 margin over the final two periods. The Chiefs' penalty kill is struggling again, as it went just 1-4 in the loss.
The defeat proved costly in the standings as well, as both Kelowna and Victoria won Saturday, moving both clubs 12 points ahead of Spokane for the final playoff spot in the West. With just 24 games left in the season, things are not looking good for the Chiefs to make the postseason. Things didn't get any easier on the schedule either, as Spokane continued the road trip with a journey to Portland to face the Winterhawks for the second time in a week. The Chiefs had lost 6-1 in the Rose City the previous Monday and the Hawks were coming off back-to-back wins over the weekend over Swift Current and Seattle to take over first place in the West by a point over the Thunderbirds. Portland had won 5 in a row overall and was looking for their 4th straight over the Chiefs this season as the two teams squared off Sunday.
Spokane was without leading scorer Chase Bertholet as he was out after getting injured in Saturday's loss at Tri-City. Without their leading scorer, the team was going to be hard-pressed to keep up with the high-powered Winterhawks. Portland had scored 19 goals in the first 3 games against Spokane while the Chiefs had put up just 10 in the three defeats against the Hawks. The Chiefs would start Cooper Michaluk in net in Sunday's finale and he would be busy in the first as Portland peppered him with 16 shots on goal. Michaluk would stop all of them though and the Chiefs would take the lead as Jaren Brinson scored his first goal as a Chief at 14:33 to give Spokane a 1-0 lead after one.
Portland would find the net on their second power play of the second period midway through the frame to even the game at 1-1. The Chiefs would then take advantage of a Winterhawks turnover late in the period as Cade Hayes scored his 10th of the season at 18:12 to put Spokane up 2-1 after 40 minutes. The Chiefs entered the third period on the power play and would take advantage as Berkly Catton scored his 14th of the year just 1:27 into the period to make it 3-1 Spokane. That lead would hold until Portland scored on a rebound at 14:31 to cut the margin to 3-2. The Chiefs did a good job keeping the pressure off Michaluk as time wound down, but the Winterhawks were able to get the puck into the Spokane zone in the final minute and pull their goalie to get the extra skater on. Michaluk made a save with just over 20 seconds left and tried to fall on the loose puck but it squirted free and Chaz Lucius scored with just 17 seconds left to send the game to overtime tied at three.
The overtime would be a back-and-forth affair that saw both clubs with prime grade-A chances to win it. Portland would get a breakaway in the opening minute, but Michaluk denied Gabe Klassen's attempt to keep the game going. Spokane then got the best chance of all as they had a 3 on 0...yes, a 3 on 0 break but Ty Cheveldayoff's shot was swallowed up by Portland goalie Dante Gianuzzi and the game continued. Cheveldayoff would get the puck again behind the Portland goal and would try to stuff it in but would be denied and Portland went on a 2-on-1 rush the other way and Marek Alscher ended the game at 3:09 of overtime to give the Chiefs a crushing 4-3 overtime loss. Spokane outshot Portland 6-3 in the overtime but were outshot 45-28 overall, including a whopping 26-9 over the final two periods. Michaluk was excellent in net though as he finished the night with 41 saves.
It was a bitter ending to a lost weekend for Spokane as the club only gained one of the possible 6 points. The loss to Portland was even further damaging as the team lost both defenseman Brayden Crampton after he blocked a shot off his foot early in the game, and forward Kooper Gizowski after he was hit in the head at mid-ice late in the game and nothing was called for a check to the head. Spokane put up a heroic effort with leading scorer Chase Bertholet but had just one point to show for it. The team now heads into the next to last month of the season with just 23 games left and trailing Kelowna and Victoria by 11 points for the final playoff spot in the West. Spokane has not had a winning streak all season after the opening weekend sweep at Victoria in the season's first weekend in late September. It's hard to envision the team going on a 7 to 8-game tear against primarily Western Conference teams down the stretch.
The Chiefs finished January on a 4-game losing streak and was just 2-8-1 for the month. Spokane is now 2-15-1-1 in their 19 games within the U.S. Division this season. Sixteen of the team's remaining 23 games are against U.S. Division teams. The handwriting is on the wall. Unless an absolute miracle happens for this club in the next two months, the Chiefs are missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Even more alarming is the club has just 22 points for the season, which is 25 less than the worst campaign in franchise history when Spokane amassed 47 points in the 1998-99 season. That's going to be a Herculean task as a rough equation says the Chiefs will have to win 10 games and lose 5 in overtime just to tie that mark. Points in 15 of 23 games, after amassing 22 in its first 45 contests. That's what the club is facing.
The schedule doesn't get any easier either, as Spokane faces another 3 games in 3 nights weekend in the first weekend of February. The Chiefs will host the final two teams from the Eastern Conference and the Central Division to visit the Spokane Arena this season as Swift Current and Red Deer come to town Friday and Saturday the 3rd and 4th. Spokane then hits the road to take on Seattle for the final time this season on Sunday. I'll have the call on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA for Friday and Sunday's games, while Saturday's tilt will be on 94.1 FM the Bear due to Gonzaga basketball. Friday and Saturday's games will see the puck drop at 7:05 pm with the pre-game shows at 6:30 pm.
Sunday's game from Seattle will be a 5:05 pm start and a 4:30 pm pre-game. It's another challenging weekend for the Chiefs and we hope to see you at the rink!
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.