SPOKANE, Wash. — After taking a possible 5 of 8 points over a busy 4 games in 6 nights stretch the previous week, the Chiefs got a chance to catch their breath at the end of February with just a pair of home games over the final weekend of the month. Spokane was coming off a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss at Vancouver the previous Monday and had fallen 14 points back of Kelowna for the final playoff spot in the Western Hockey League's Western Conference playoff race with just 14 games left in the regular season. Time was running out on the Chiefs so both games against U.S. Division rivals Portland and Tri City were must wins if Spokane hoped to gain any ground on Kelowna heading into the season's final month.
First up was the second place Winterhawks, who were in the final stages of their longest road trip of the season. Spokane had knocked off Portland for the first time this season with a 6-2 victory at the Spokane Arena in the first contest of Spokane's 4 game busy week. It was the first win over Portland in 6 tries for the Chiefs and the club was hoping to build on that success as the two teams met on Friday night in front of a sell out crowd of 10.368. The sell out was the first for the Chiefs since before the Covid pandemic hit in March in 2020. Spokane went with goalie Dawson Cowan, who had lost his last start in a 3-0 shutout defeat at Tri City the previous Saturday.
Getting out to a quick start had been a key to Spokane's win over Portland the last time out, and the Chiefs would follow the same script against the Winterhawks on Friday. Kooper Gizowski took a Michael Cicek pass net front and scored his 9th goal of the season with just over 2.5 minutes left in the first period to give Spokane a 1-0 lead. The Chiefs would expand the margin to 2-0 less than 2 minutes later when Tomasso DeLuca hit an open Carter Streek for his 12th goal of the year. Portland would cut the lead in half midway through the second but the Chiefs Ty Cheveldayoff charged the net on a rush just over 4 minutes later to put Spokane back up by 2 at 3-1. Streek would then score his second of the game 36 seconds later to give the Chiefs a commanding 4-1 advantage heading into the third period.
Portland would get 4 power play chances in the third, but the Spokane penalty kill would be perfect as Cowan would turn aside all 14 Hawks shots as the Chiefs finished the night a perfect 6 for 6 on the penalty kill on their way to a 4-1 victory. It was the second straight for Spokane over Portland and extended the Winterhawks losing streak to 6 straight. Unfortunately, the Chiefs failed to gain any ground in the chase for the final playoff spot as the Rockets won their game at Edmonton. Spokane now hoped to win their first back to back home games of the season as they welcomed arch rival Tri City to the Arena the next night. The Chiefs had lost 3 straight to the Americans as Tri City had won 5 of 7 of the season series entering Saturday's match up.
The Americans were coming off a 6-1 loss at Seattle the night before but had blanked the Chiefs 3-0 in the two teams last meeting the previous Saturday down in Kennewick. Spokane had put up 39 shots on goalie Tomas Suchanek in the last contest but found themselves shut out for just the third time this year. Saturday the Chiefs went with Cooper Michaluk in goal as he hoped to pick up his 3rd win in his last 4 starts. Tri City would come right out and put the Chiefs on their heels as the Americans scored less than 4 minutes into the game to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Spokane would counter though as Michael Cicek scored his 4th of the season midway through the period to send to the game to the second tied at one. Cicek was centering the second line Saturday as regular centerman Tomasso DeLuca was sitting out the contest on a one game suspension after taking a double minor for slewfooting in Friday's win over Portland.
In the second period, Spokane would take their first lead as Grady Lane scored on a rebound on the Chiefs first power play of the night four minutes into the frame to give Spokane their first lead at 2-1. Tri City came right back just over 4 minutes later to even the game at two as the two teams headed to the final period knotted up. The tie didn't last long as Chase Bertholet hit Raegan Wiles crashing the net and Wiles tip in 55 seconds into the third gave the Chiefs a 3-2 lead. That lead would hold up as Michaluk turned aside all 11 Tri City shots and the Chiefs penalty kill knocked off 2 Americans power play chances in the period on their way to a perfect 4 for 4 night. Cade Hayes would score into an empty net with less than a minute and a half remaining to seal a 4-2 victory as the Chiefs got their first win over the Americans since December 30th.
The Chiefs organization had their first parents weekend during the games with Portland and Tri City and the weekend was a huge success off and on the ice for Spokane. The team played their best hockey of the year and the results on the scoreboard reflected it. The news was even better when Kelowna lost at Red Deer as the Chiefs win brought them within 12 points of the Rockets for the final playoff spot. The Chiefs are now heading out on a 3 game road trip to Canada that will begin Wednesday night at Kelowna in a must win for Spokane. A victory in regulation would bring the Chiefs within 10 points of the Rockets with 11 games remaining and keep Spokane's slim chances of the playoffs alive. A loss and the playoff hopes are pretty much over.
Spokane's final trip to Canada will also involve a pair of games against the B.C. Division's second place team in the Prince George Cougars. Prince George has moved within a point of 4th place Tri City in the conference, which is the last home ice spot in the first round. Realistically, the Chiefs have to win both games at PG as well, so this next week is theee make or break for Spokane. Three wins and hope springs eternal of a possible miracle berth. Any losses are extremely difficult to overcome as games are running out for the Chiefs. Spokane has just 12 contests left this season with three of them on this road trip. 24 possible points and 12 points back in the standings starting the road trip this week. It's going to be a difficult challenge but the Chiefs are playing their best hockey at the right time of the season.
The Chiefs take on the Rockets Wednesday at 7 pm while the games at Prince George will be at 7 pm on Friday and 6 pm Saturday. I'll have the call for Wednesday's game on 94.1 FM the Bear due to Gonzaga basketball while Friday and Saturday's games will be on 103.5 FM the Game. The pre-game shows are at 6:30 pm on Wednesday and Friday and 5:30 pm on Saturday as Spokane makes their final trip to Canada this season. Let's hope the Great White North treats the Chiefs well and Spokane returns to the States with their playoff hopes intact as we hope to see you on the radio this week!
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