SPOKANE, Wash. — After opening the season with back to back wins on the road at Kamloops and Everett, the Chiefs returned home last weekend for their home opener with arch rival Tri City. The result was less than satisfactory in the win-loss column as the Americans overcame a 1-0 third period deficit with 3 goals on their way to a 3-1 victory over Spokane. The loss dropped the Chiefs out of first place in the U.S. Division but the club now had the opportunity to pull themselves back up in the division as they had back to back games with Seattle and Kelowna over the third weekend of the season.
First up were the defending league champion Thunderbirds. Spokane was unable to get a win over Seattle last season as they went 0 for 7 against the T-Birds in the season series, being outscored 41-18 in the process. Seattle came into Friday's game having played just two games, the fewest in the league. The Thunderbirds had split the two contests, so a win for the Chiefs could pull them 4 points ahead of Seattle in the standings.
Spokane was without forward Cole Wadsworth, who was on the injured list. Rookie Coco Armstrong made his debut after suffering an injury in the early pre-season. Cooper Michaluk got the start in goal, his first since the season opener in Kamloops. The Chiefs would jump out to a great start as Cam Parr forced the puck free in front of the Seattle net and Ben Bonni tucked in the loose puck in the open net at 12:25 of the first to give Spokane a 1-0 lead. Just 59 seconds later, Owen Martin got in behind the defense and the rookie forward scored his first career goal on a back hand to put the Chiefs ahead 2-0. Seattle would get back in the game with a power play goal in the final 2.5 minutes of the period as Spokane would carry a 2-1 lead heading into the second.
The Chiefs were unable to score on a power play to end the first and had the first 35 seconds of the second frame with the man advantage, but failed to score. To make matters worse, Seattle would score on a breakaway just 9 seconds after the expiration of the power play and would even the contest at 2-2. The two teams went back and forth the rest of the period, but neither team was able to score as the game went to the third tied at 2-2. In the third, Seattle would break the deadlock at 13:52 with a quick turnaround odd man rush to take a 3-2 lead. Spokane would pull Michaluk in the final minute and a half, but the Thunderbirds would wrap up the game with an empty net tally with 1:04 left to cap the come from behind 4-2 victory.
It was the Chiefs second straight loss at home as they fell to the .500 mark at 2-2. There was no rest for the team though, as the team got on the bus to make the 5.5 hour ride North to Kelowna to face the Rockets. Kelowna had been off since losing two in Prince George the previous weekend, but had knocked off U.S. Division leading Portland the previous week. Spokane went to Dawson Cowan in net as he hoped to get back in the win column after a 42 save effort in the loss to Tri City last weekend.
Spokane came out and scored first for the 5th consecutive game as Carter Streek netted his first goal of the season at 8:06 of the first period to put the Chiefs up 1-0. Former Chief Michael Cicek would come back and score on his former club as the Kelowna center man scored 1:30 later on an odd man rush to even the contest at 1-1. Kelowna would score on a rebound less than 3 minutes later as part of an 18-6 shot advantage in the period to take a 2-1 lead into the second period. The Chiefs came out in the second and would pull even at 2 apiece when Lukas Kral scored his first WHL goal midway through the frame to send the game to the third period at 2-2.
The Rockets came out in the third period on the power play and it would quickly become a two man advantage when the Chiefs took a penalty just 15 seconds into the stanza. Kelowna scored on the 5 on 3 power play 44 seconds in to take a 3-2 lead and then Cicek scored his second of the contest on the remaining power play to make it 4-2 Rockets just 1:19 into the period. The Chiefs Berkly Catton got Spokane within 4-3 with his team leading 3rd of the season at 11:51 but Kelowna's Tij Iginla got his second of the frame on a breakaway 4 minutes later to expand the lead back to 5-3 in favor of the Rockets. Iginla would then cap his first career hat trick with an empty netter with just 37 seconds left to wrap up Kelowna's 6-3 victory.
The Chiefs outshot Kelowna 33-18 over the final two periods, including a 21-10 margin in the third, but were outscored 5-2 over the final 40 minutes. Spokane lost the special teams battle for the first time this season, going 1-3 on the power play and 2-4 on the penalty kill as the club suffered its' third straight defeat. The team now heads back home for back to back home games this week as they entertain Kamloops and Brandon at the Arena on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Spokane is facing a tough 3 games in 3 nights road trip the following week, so the Chiefs are looking to get back on their game they showed the opening weekend of the season.
The club faces a Kamloops team they edged in overtime on opening night 3 weeks ago on Wednesday night at 7:05 pm. Brandon becomes the first club from the East Division to visit Spokane Saturday night at 6:05 pm. I'll have the call on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA starting with the pre-game shows at 6:30 pm on Wednesday and 5:30 pm on Saturday. Let's hope the Chiefs get back to their performances of the opening weekend and snap their 3 game streak. We hope to see you at the rink!
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