PRINCE GEORGE, BC — Just like baseball's opening day, optimism is always high when the puck drops starting a new hockey season. The Chiefs certainly had a lot to be excited about as they welcomed back the majority of their young talented club from last season and they looked forward to taking the next steps to contend for the top of the Western Conference. The team would have to start the campaign with five of their players off at NHL camps, as leading scorer Berkly Catton, starting goalie Dawson Cowan and defensemen Saige Weinstein, Will McIsaac and Nathan Mayes would miss the opening weekend of the season. Forwards Owen Martin and Brody Gillespie were also sidelined after being injured in the Chiefs final pre-season game the weekend before.
Spokane also made a couple of trades off the ice heading into the opening weekend as they dealt forward Lukas Kral to Prince Albert to get down to the two-import player limit. The team import they kept, forward Asanali Sarkenov, could not make the trip to Canada due to visa paperwork, so the Chiefs found themselves short another forward going into their opener at Prince George. Spokane did acquire forward Matthew Edwards from Vancouver as the team was able to suit up 11 forwards for the season opener Friday in PG. The Chiefs started two 15-year-olds in first and second-round picks Ossie McIntyre and Harry Mattern as well as five 16-year-olds against the Cougars.
The Chiefs did have veteran goalie Cooper Michaluk in net and the club got off to a good start Saturday when 20-year-old forward Rasmus Ekstrom scored on a backhander just over three minutes into the game to put Spokane ahead 1-0. Prince George had one power play in the first two periods and would convert it at 6:01 of the first after a net-front scramble to even the game at one. The Cougars then struck again just 46 seconds later to take their first lead at 2-1. Spokane answered right back though as 17-year-old rookie forward Dane Pyatt scored on a partial breakaway midway through the period to tie the game at two heading to the second period.
In the second, neither team was able to score as the Chiefs outshot the Cougars 10-6 in the period to send the game to the third still tied at 2-2. Spokane's power play had five chances in the first 40 minutes but was unable to break through as the contest came down to the final 20 minutes. In the third, Prince George would break the tie with a goal at 14:32 and it appeared Prince George would get their 6th straight win against the Chiefs over the last two seasons. Spokane had other ideas as they fought back to tie it at 17:11. Ossie McIntyre set things up with a pass to Shea Van Olm, whose shot was stopped. 16-year-old rookie Cohen Harris crashed the net and scored on a rebound for his first WHL goal and the Chiefs would send the game to overtime in their 3rd straight game in Prince George.
In the overtime, 16-year-old rookie Mathis Preston streaked down the right wing in his second shift of OT and while his shot was stopped, the rebound came right to second-year defenseman Owen Schoettler, who put the puck under the bar for the game-winner just 1:49 into the extra session to give the Chiefs a 4-3 opening night victory. It was just the second goal in Schoettler's career and it proved to be his biggest as Spokane snapped their five-game losing streak to the Cougars and afforded the Chiefs the opportunity to start the season with a two-game road sweep against the 7th-ranked team in the entire Canadian Hockey League.
Saturday night, the Chiefs would turn to rookie netminder Carter Esler as he hoped to snag his first career victory in goal. Spokane was dealt a blow in the opening night win as rookie forward Dane Pyatt, who had scored the Chiefs second goal in the win, was lost with a leg injury that will keep him on the shelf for a while. With the team already down a forward in the lineup with the injuries to Gillespie and Martin, Spokane was going to be basically playing three lines up front in their second game of the season.
Esler would come out and play like a seasoned veteran as he was tested in the first. While the Chiefs were on the power play, Prince George broke out on a 2-on-0 break while shorthanded but Esler denied the Cougars the opening goal to keep the game 0-0 at the end of one. Spokane would break the scoreless deadlock almost six minutes into the second period when Mathis Preston sniped home his first of the season from the left wing to give the Chiefs a 1-0 advantage. Prince George would equalize on a power play goal late in the period and the two teams would head to the third tied at 1-1. Despite being outshot 24-16 through 40 minutes, Spokane was in position to earn their second straight win in as many nights.
Despite Esler's best efforts in the third, the Chiefs were outworked and outplayed in the final 20 minutes as the Cougars outshot the Chiefs 13-8 in the third and 37-24 overall in the game. Prince George would snap the tie with a goal just over six minutes into the period and then would cap the win with their second power-play goal 10 minutes later to secure a split of the series with a 3-1 victory. Spokane's power play is off to a bit of a slow start, going 0-8 over the weekend while the penalty kill is just 5-8 after two games. No doubt special teams will be a focus for the club this week as they get ready for a pair of games over the weekend. The loss overshadowed a great effort by Esler, who turned aside 34 shots in the loss.
Spokane now hopes to heal up as they were down four forwards in the opening weekend due to injury or visa issues. The Chiefs will continue their road trip on Friday as they travel to Wenatchee to face the Wild. Wenatchee opened their season with a 7-1 thumping at home against Seattle, so Spokane better be prepared to play their best hockey or suffer the same fate.
The Chiefs will then return to the Spokane Arena for the first time this season as they open their home slate by hosting the rival Tri-City Americans on Saturday to close out the month of September. I'll have the call for both games on 103.5 FM the Game and 1510 AM KGA. The pre-game show Friday will be at 6:30 pm with the puck drop at 7:05 pm, while Saturday's home opener will see the pre-game at 5:30 pm and the puck drop at 6:05 pm. Let's hope the Chiefs heal up and get back on the winning track and we hope to see you at the rink!
