SPOKANE, Wash. --- After flying through the month of February and the first week of March, the Chiefs hit a skid last week as they dropped three out of 4 to remain in third place in the U.S. Division and fall 7 points back of Portland for second. With just four games remaining in the final week of the season, Spokane had zero room for error if they hoped to secure a home ice spot in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
Perhaps more importantly than trying to obtain home ice, the Chiefs had to get back on their team game that eluded them in back to back losses at Seattle and at home to Vancouver. Cracks in the team's defensive work had begun to come into Spokane's performance, and with the playoffs just two weeks off, the team was hoping to get back to the level they had shown when they went 17-2-2 after the trade deadline in January. The Chiefs were still without forward Zach Fischer, who was still on the injured list. The team did sign forward Sean Gulka to help with depth up front, and were bolstered by the return of goalie Bailey Brkin, who returned from Alberta to help back up starter Dawson Weatherill. Brkin had gone 3-1 in 4 starts in January, with a goals against of just 2.50.
The Chiefs started their final week of the regular season with a return meeting with Seattle on Wednesday at the Spokane Arena. Spokane was hoping to avenge a 4-2 loss in Kent the previous Friday in a game in which the Thunderbirds snapped a 2-2 tie with two third period goals on their way to a 4-2 victory. The Chiefs looked determined to change that outcome Wednesday when Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored his team leading 38th of the season just 3:30 into the game to give Spokane a 1-0 lead. Things would turn south in a hurry for the team though, as Seattle scored 3 goals in just over 4.5 minutes to take a 3-1 advantage late into the first. The Chiefs would climb back into the game on a Hudson Elynuik power play goal with just 10 seconds left in the period to draw within 3-2 after one. Spokane would draw even just over 2 minutes into the second on Anderson-Dolan's second goal of the game on the power play as the Chiefs made it 3-3. At this point, it looked like the Chiefs would be able to pull out a comeback win as they seemed to have turned the game around.
That feeling would last just over a minute, as Seattle would score a goal on another Chiefs defensive breakdown to go back ahead 4-3. The goal seemed to take the air out of the Spokane balloon as the Thunderbirds would notch two more goals late in the period to take a commanding 6-3 lead after two. Spokane would out shoot the T-Birds 11-7 in the third, and 40-29 in the game, would come up empty in the third as Seattle took their second straight over Spokane by a final of 6-3. Weatherill had started the game, giving up 4 goals on just 12 shots, while Brkin gave up the final two in relief.
Goaltending wasn't the issue for the Chiefs on this night though, as the Thunderbirds scored their goals off Spokane turnovers and on defensive coverage mistakes. It was not a good start to the week, and to make matters worse; not only had the Chiefs lost out on second in the division, Tri City was now just 3 points back of Spokane for third. The Americans had ripped off 4 straight wins and now had a chance to pass the Chiefs in the standings as the two clubs met in a home and home series starting at the Spokane Arena Friday.
Friday's game was the home finale for the Chiefs, so there was the hope the club would respond to the home crowd. A win would put the team 5 points up with just 2 games left and would ensure a first round playoff spot within the U.S. Division. A loss though would bring Tri City within 1 point of the Chiefs with 2 games left in the season and place Spokane in imminent danger of falling into the wild card role and a series with B.C. Division winning Kelowna rather than staying in the U.S. Division and playing Portland or Everett. Friday's contest would see a tight and well played first period as the two goalies dominated. Spokane went with Bailey Brkin in his first start since being recalled and Tri City's Patrick Dea matched Brkin save for save in the first as the two teams failed to score. The Americans would break on top with a Michael Rasmussen power play goal midway through the second to take a 1-0 lead into the third.
The Americans would extend to the lead to 2-0 just 54 seconds into the third on Juuso Valimaki goal on a back door feed. Spokane would cut the lead in half on Eli Zummack's power play goal on a tip of a Filip Kral shot at 8:44 to make it a 2-1 game. Despite out shooting Tri 14-6 in the third and 40-29 overall, the Chiefs could draw no closer as Tri City pulled within a point of Spokane in the standings with a 2-1 victory. Brkin was rock solid in net, turning away 28 shots in the defeat and making several saves to keep Spokane in the game. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, Dea outdueled Brkin with a 37 save performance as the Ams narrowed Spokane's lead in the season series to 6-5 Chiefs. Tri City now not only had an opportunity to split the season series, but also pass Spokane in the standings if they could sweep the home and home Saturday down in Kennewick.
For the second straight night, the Chiefs were without Kailer Yamamoto, who stayed back in Spokane to nurse himself back to health in time for the playoffs. Unlike the previous game, it was the Chiefs that got the early lead as Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored his career high 40th goal on the power play late in the first period to give Spokane a 1-0 lead after one. Tri City would come right back as they scored a power play goal midway through the second to even the game at one. It turned out to be the only power play Tri City got in the contest. Spokane took all of 9 seconds to regain the lead as Riley Woods scored his 25th of the season from the left wing to give the Chiefs a 2-1 advantage. Filip Kral would extend the margin to 3-1 with his 8th of the year in the final minute of the period to make it 3-1 Chiefs after two. Tri City would narrow the margin to 3-2 on a Rasmussen goal with less than 7 minutes remaining, but Spokane would get the game winner at 18:24 from Jake McGrew to go back up by two at 4-2. An Americans goal with the extra skater on with 35 seconds left got Tri back within 4-3, but that was as close as the Ams got as Spokane wrapped up third place in the U.S. Division with a 4-3 victory.
Now Spokane knew who they would be playing in the first round...the very team they would end the regular season with in Portland.
The Chiefs had not faced the Winterhawks since January 6th, as the two teams played 7 of their first 8 meetings before the trade deadline. Sunday's regular season finale was about as anti-climatic as they come, as the Chiefs were without Ty Smith, Hudson Elynuik, Dalyon Hamaliuk, Yamamoto and Fischer. Portland rested starters Brendan DeJong and Alex Overhardt. The two teams went with their back up goalies as the Chiefs started Donovan Buskey and Portland went with Shane Farkas. Spokane was under siege much of the first period as Portland out shot the Chiefs 15-4. Spokane would break out on top though, as Riley McKay scored his 4th of the year midway through the period to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead after one.
The Winterhawks would come out in the second and score three goals on 7 shots to go up 3-1 after two. Ryan Hughes would score just over 2 minutes into the third to extend the Hawks lead to 4-1 and the Chiefs were in deep trouble. Spokane would get a power play midway through the third and converted on a Jake McGrew rebound at 11:43 to cut the lead to 4-2. Milos Fafrak would score again for the Chiefs just 37 seconds later to bring Spokane within 4-3. Spokane would get another power play chance in the final minute and would get the equalizer as Nolan Reid scored with just 21 seconds remaining to tie the game at 4 and send it to overtime. In the OT, Spokane out shot Portland 4-2 but were unable to get the winner. The two teams headed to a shootout and neither was able to score in the first three rounds. Buskey would deny Portland's Hughes in round 4 and then McKay would score the game winner as the Chiefs secured their first shootout win of the season and third straight victory over Portland.
The win was Spokane's biggest comeback victory of the season and should be a big boost for the team heading into their first round playoff series with the Winterhawks. Portland won the first 5 of the series this year, only to see Spokane net the final 3 of the match-ups. It should prove to be a high powered series offensively, but goaltending will be huge. Portland is expected to go with Cole Kehler, who went 5-2 against Spokane, while the Chiefs will go with either Dawson Weatherill or Bailey Brkin. Brkin threw his hat in the ring with a 4-2 record and a goals against of 2.59 in 6 starts. Spokane should be fully healthy by Saturday's opener, as forwards Zach Fischer and Kailer Yamamoto should be back up front. The first two games of the series will be in Portland Saturday and Sunday March 24th and 25th before returning to Spokane for games 3 and 4 Wednesday and Thursday March 28th and 29th. I'll have the call for games 1 and 2 from Portland on 1510 KGA. Saturday's game will see the pre-game at 5:30 pm and the puck drop at 6:05 pm. Sunday's game will be at 5:05 pm with the pre-game at 4:30 pm. It's the time of year we all look forward to, and we hope to see you at the rink!
