SPOKANE -- The Spokane Chiefs scored three power play goals and won their fifth game in a row against the Tri-City Americans with a 5-2 win on Saturday night.
A sold out crowd of 10,529 fans saw the Chiefs and Americans play on pink ice in Breast Cancer Awareness Night presented by Sageland Vineyards.
Spokane has pulled within five points of Tri-City in the Western Conference. The Americans still sit in first place with 89 points while Vancouver has the second spot locked down as they lead the B.C. Division with 83 points. Everett is in third with 87 and the Chiefs trail them with 84.
Tri-City scored first taking advantage of a turnover at the Chiefs line. Patrick Holland’s tally made it 1-0 at 7:43 of the first period.
The Chiefs would counter with three straight, including Kyle Beach’s 48th goal of the season. After a Tri-City penalty at 15:22, Beach took a loose puck from behind the net and took a hard shot off the back of Drew Owsley and banked it in just 11 seconds later.
Levko Koper’s shot from the left wing deflected off a Tri-City stick at 19:04 and the Chiefs led 2-0 through the first period. Tyler Johnson assisted on the first two goals.
6:35 into the second, Mitch Wahl’s one-timer from the slot on the power play made it 3-1.
Tri-City’s Neil Prokop backhanded a rebound of a Brett Plouffe shot and pulled the Americans within 3-2 at 17:35 of the second.
The two goal advantage returned after Brady Brassart’s ninth goal of the year at 11:54 gave the Chiefs a 4-2 lead. The 16-year-old rookie came into the Tri-City zone as the third man and converted a cross ice pass from Levko Koper for the insurance marker.
Kenton Miller finished the game with an empty net, power play goal at 19:22 with Johnson earning his third assist. In his last two games, Johnson has six points as he followed up his hat-trick last with tonight’s effort.
The Chiefs were 3-7 on the power play and 1-2 on the penalty kill. Reid stopped 31 shots and earned the game’s second star. Koper was the first star while Jared Spurgeon, who had two assists and blocked three Tri-City shots late in the game, was the third.
Spokane hits the road for three games next weekend when they travel to Kelowna, Portland and Seattle next Wednesday, Friday and Saturday respectively.
