The Spokane Chiefs snapped a two game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night in Kelowna.
Kyle Beach and Tyler Johnson scored two goals and an assist apiece to lead the Chiefs offensively, while Michael Tadjdeh had 31 saves in picking up his second win of the year.
Despite two point blank net front shots from Mitch Wahl in the first period, Spokane could not get a puck past Kelowna goalie Adam Brown in the first period as the two teams were scoreless. Spokane outshot Kelowna 14-7 in the first.
Spokane would break out on top when Kyle Beach would snap home a Mitch Wahl feed just 35 seconds into the second period to make it 1-0.
The Chiefs Tyler Johnson would score on the power play at 1:48 to make it 2-0 as Beach and Stephan Ulmer picked up the assists. Johnson would then extend the lead to 3-0 as he charged down the right wing after taking a Jared Cowen pass and lifted a shot over Kelowna goalie Adam Brown at 9:12 of the second.
Tyson Barrie would bring Kelowna within 3-1 just 30 seconds later, but Beach would put the Chiefs back up by 3 at 4-1 with his second goal of the period at 17:40.
Beach scored his team leading 10th of the season and 5th in his last two games on a beautiful net front feed from Johnson on the power play.
Levko Koper also picked up an assist. Barrie’s second of the night with 10 seconds left in the period would cut the Chiefs lead to 4-2 after two periods.
Kelowna would score at 15:34 of the third to cut the lead to 4-3, but Spokane killed off a Rocket power play and 6 on 4 advantage in the final minute to secure the win.
Spokane outshot Kelowna 35-34 on the night and went 2-4 on the power play and 4-4 on the penalty kill.
The Chiefs will return home to the Spokane Arena to open a home-and-home series with the U.S. Division leading Portland Winter Hawks on Saturday night at 7pm.
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