SPOKANE, Wash — There is no question this has been a long season for the Spokane Chiefs. After getting off to a 2-0 start in their opening road trip to Victoria in the final weekend of September, the club has stumbled since then, going just 12-40-4-5 since then. With just 5 games left in the regular season, the Chiefs 37 points were 10 below the all time lowest mark in a season of 47 set by the 1998-99 team. Spokane has recently been bit by the injury bug as well as they have lost forward Ty Cheveldayoff and defenseman Saige Weinstein for the final two weeks of the season. It didn't help the Chiefs were in their most grueling part of the schedule, having come off a 4 games in 5 nights stretch last week and then entering a 3 games in 3 nights over the next to last weekend of the season just two days after that 4 games portion. That's 7 games in 10 days. That is the definition of a grind.
It doesn't help when the team loses the first four in those five days. Spokane did pick up points with an overtime loss to Kelowna and a shootout defeat at Everett. From a historical standpoint, the Chiefs were in a tough spot as they had to win all 5 of their remaining games just to tie the 47 points set by the '99 edition of the Chiefs. Spokane had 4 of their 5 remaining games against rival Tri City with their other game against Everett, a club they had only beaten once in 8 tries this season. Needless to say, it was going to be a major task for the Chiefs to win out their final games of the season and avoid making history for the lowest points mark.
Spokane started the weekend with a home and home series with Tri City on Friday with a home game at the Spokane Arena on St. Patrick's Day. The Chiefs had gone 3-1 on home ice against the Americans this season with the three wins coming in a row since an opening loss. Spokane was hoping to continue that trend against an Americans club that had just won 8 road games in 32 tries this year. The two teams played a close first period as the first 20 minutes would end in a 0-0 game. Tri City would come out and score just over a minute into the second on a tip in to take a 1-0 lead. Spokane would fail on two straight power play chances to tie the contest midway through the period and then the Americans would score after a Chiefs turnover to go up 2-0 after two periods.
The Chiefs came right out and scored off the opening face-off in the third as Tomasso DeLuca scored his 16th of the year just 17 seconds into the final period to bring Spokane within 2-1. Spokane would have a chance to tie on a breakaway while shorthanded, but Chase Bertholet's shot was stopped by Americans goalie Thomas Suchanek to keep the Ams up 2-1. Tri City would put the game away with a goal with less than 2.5 minutes left as the Americans extended the Chiefs losing streak to 5 straight with a 3-1 victory. Tri now led the season series 6-3 and had a chance to wrap up the head to head meetings as they would host Spokane the next night in Kennewick.
With the loss Friday, the Chiefs were assured of finishing with the worst record in franchise history. With 4 games left in the season, the Chiefs had 37 points, 10 back of the previous low in 1998-99. The club now hoped to snap their losing streak as they headed out for their next to last road game of the season. Spokane had gone winless in 4 tries in Tri Cities, gaining only one point with a New Year's Eve overtime loss. The Americans jumped out to a 1-0 lead midway through the first on a Parker Bell tally. Tri would open up the second period with 3 goals in the first half of the frame to take a commanding 4-0 lead. The Chiefs would charge back with a Jake Gudelj rebound at 15:21 to cut the margin to 4-1. Mac Gross then scored on the power play at 17:38 and suddenly Spokane was right back in the game at 4-2.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, a massive defensive breakdown off the ensuing face-off would see the Ams score 12 seconds after the Gross goal to put Tri City up 5-2. Bell would then score with just 7 seconds left in the period to put the Americans back up by 4 at 6-2 and effectively end Spokane's comeback effort. The Americans then controlled the third. putting up two more goals to hand Spokane their worst loss in the season series with an 8-2 defeat. The Chiefs power play was just 1 for 8 but the penalty kill went perfect for the second straight night with a 5-5 performance. With the win, Tri City assured themselves of winning the season series as they had now gone 7-3 in the 12 game set. With the loss, the Chiefs fell into last place in the Western Conference as Victoria had won in Prince George to go 2 points up on Spokane.
The club hoped to salvage the final game of the three games in three nights set as the Chiefs hosted Everett in the final game of the season between the two clubs. Spokane had dropped 7 of 8 to the Silvertips this season, but had taken the last 3 games of the series to a shootout. The Chiefs had lost 5-4 in a shootout the week before in Everett, extending the game with 2 goals in the final minute. Spokane was looking for their first win over the Tips at the Arena, having gone 0-3. Quick starts had eluded the Chiefs in their 6 game losing streak but they would come out Sunday and change that as Chase Bertholet converted a Tomasso DeLuca pass 3:55 into the game to make it 1-0 Chiefs. Bertholet would score his second of the period, and team leading 28th of the season at 9:39 and Spokane would carry a 2-0 advantage into the second period.
The Chiefs clamped down defensively in the second period and played a scoreless frame as they outshot the Silvertips 13-9 to maintain their two goal lead into the third period. A Spokane turnover early in the final frame led to a Silvertip goal just over two minutes in to cut the Chiefs lead to 2-1. The Chiefs answered right back though as Berkly Catton scored his 22nd of the year on a backhander at 5:45 to put Spokane back up 3-1. Everett would narrow the contest to 3-2 after taking advantage of another Spokane turnover with just under 6 minutes left. The Chiefs would once again tighten up defensively as goalie Dawson Cowan turned away 32 Everett shots on the night, including 11 in the third period to preserve a 3-2 victory.
The win snapped Spokane's 6 game losing streak and gave the Chiefs two wins in their last 3 games against Everett in the season series. The Chiefs pulled back into a tie with Victoria for 9th in the Western Conference with their 15th win of the season. The Chiefs will enter the final week of the season with 39 points, 8 back of the lowest total in a season in franchise history, set in 1998-99. With just 2 games remaining, this year's team will set the new record for fewest points gained in a season. Spokane can break the 40 point barrier and finish the year with their longest win streak of the campaign with a sweep of a home and home series with arch rival Tri City in the last weekend of the schedule.
Spokane is hoping to avenge the sweep given by the Americans last weekend as the two clubs close out their seasons with back to back games Friday and Saturday. The Chiefs will travel to Kennewick to face the Ams Friday and then the two teams will head to Spokane to close out the season on Saturday. I'll have the call on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA both nights with the pre-game shows at 6:30pm and the puck drops at 7:05 pm. Let's hope the Chiefs can finish off the season on a winning note and head into next season on the positive side of things. We hope to see you at the rink!
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