Coming out of Portland with a split in the first two games of their first round playoff series, the Chiefs had to feel pretty good about where they stood with the Winterhawks heading into games 3 and 4 at the Spokane Arena. Since the holiday break midway through the season, Spokane had won 4 of 5 against Portland and seemed to be gaining more confidence against the more playoff experienced Winterhawks as the season progressed. The Chiefs had managed to win the first game in overtime in game one and had charged back from a 4-0 deficit to drop a 4-3 decision in game two. The trick was now to keep that momentum going on home ice as they hosted games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday at the Spokane Arena. The Chiefs had gone just 1-3 on home ice vs. Portland this season, but had won the last game on January 6th by a resounding 9-3 margin. While Portland was shorthanded in that contest, playing without several of their top players, the Chiefs had no doubt gained confidence against the Winterhawks that game as they won the next two meetings after.
Spokane was coming off a loss Sunday though, so it was going to be interesting to see how the Chiefs would come out in game three. The answer was clear from the start...pretty well. The team was flying around in the first period, putting up 16 shots on net and dominating puck possession in the opening 20 minutes. Unfortunately, Spokane couldn't find the back of the net, as they missed the net on several occasions and Portland goalie Cole Kehler was sharp in turning aside all 16 Chiefs shots. Spokane even had a 5 on 3 power play for 26 seconds in the period, but failed to score. To make matters worse, Portland would score on 1 on their 8 shots in the period, as Cody Glass scored midway through the stanza to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead after one. It was a tough way to start for Spokane as they played one of their best periods of the series, yet still found themselves down by a goal.
The Chiefs would turn it around in the second, as Jaret Anderson-Dolan, the team's leading scorer, netted his first goal of the playoffs at 5:31 of the second period to tie the game at one. Portland would come right back and score on the power play just over two minutes later to re-take the lead at 2-1. The Hawks then scored a huge insurance goal less than 4 minutes later as they took advantage of a Chiefs defensive breakdown to go up 3-1 after two. Spokane goalie Bailey Brkin played pretty solid all night, but would be outstanding in the third as he stoned Portland on a couple of point blank shots to keep the Chiefs within two. The offense didn't do much though, as Spokane generated just 4 shots on Kehler in the third, and the Winterhawks would come away with a 3-1 victory and a 2-1 series lead. The Chiefs now found themselves in a must win as they hosted the Hawks in game 4 the very next night at the Arena.
Game 4 would see the Chiefs go with Dawson Weatherill in net. Unlike game 3, the team would also get rewarded for their good start as they would score on their first power play of the evening as Hudson Elynuik would score with his skate outside the crease midway through the first period to put Spokane up 1-0. The Chiefs would then get their first multi-goal lead of the series as Eli Zummack tipped in a Tyson Helgesen shot just 1:27 later to put Spokane ahead 2-0. That lead held until the final 3 minutes of the period, as Portland won a puck battle and Alex Overhardt beat a screened Weatherill to cut the lead to 2-1 after one. Both teams went through a scoreless second as neither club drew a penalty. The Winterhawks would even the contest early in the third on a Skyler McKenzie tip in, but Spokane would answer back midway through the period on Anderson-Dolan's power play goal at 9:50 to go back up 3-2.
Just when it looked like the Chiefs would even the series at 2 heading back to Portland, the roof caved in on Spokane's defensive coverage off face-off's. Joachim Blichfeld scored off an offensive zone draw at 13:38 to tie the game at three. The shock of giving up the lead got a lot worse off the ensuing face-off at center circle when the Chiefs got to puck watching and let Blichfeld go on a breakaway off the draw and he would score just 7 seconds later to give Portland a 4-3 lead. I've watched a lot of hockey, but I've never seen a breakaway off the center circle face-off in a playoff game. Never. It kind of reminded me of Portland scoring 6 goals in 1:58 on the Chiefs several years back at the Arena in the numbing effect it had on the team. To their credit, the Chiefs came storming back and put a tonnn of pressure on the Winterhawks in their own zone in the remaining 5 minutes, but Spokane couldn't find the net and Portland dealt the Chiefs a devastating 4-3 defeat to go up a commanding 3-1 in the series.
It was the kind of loss that left me wondering how does this team recover from thatttt??? I would get my answer two days later as the Chiefs traveled to Portland for game 5 as the Hawks had a chance to put an end to Spokane's season. The crowd at the Veteran's Memorial Coliseum certainly sensed it when the Hawks scored just 9:20 into the game to go ahead 1-0. The Chiefs would show they weren't going to hand it over when they converted a Riley Woods power play goal just over 3 minutes later to tie the game at one. Portland's Cody Glass would score off the rush at 16:10 to give the Winterhawks a 2-1 lead after one as the Chiefs went 1-3 on the power play. Hudson Elynuik would re-tie the game in the second for Spokane with his team leading 3rd of the playoffs to make it 2-2. Portland then scored on a soft goal from the left wing that slid through the pads of goalie Dawson Weatherill just 19 seconds later to take a 3-2 advantage after two.
In the third, Spokane's Jake McGrew scored his first of the playoffs on a rebound at 5:05 to get the Chiefs back even at 3. It looked like Spokane might be heading to overtime, but Portland's Dennis Cholowski scored his 4th of the series on a rebound at 13:33 to give the Winterhawks a 4-3 lead and seemingly the series win. The Chiefs wouldn't quit though, as they pulled Weatherill in the final minute and a half. The move paid off as Nolan Reid's shot from the point tipped off a Portland defender and in the net with 30 seconds left to tie the contest at 4 and send the game to overtime. In the OT, Spokane would get off 9 of the 12 shots and would keep the series alive as Kailer Yamamoto's first of the playoffs on a one timer at 9:19 gave the Chiefs a dramatic come from behind 5-4 victory. Spokane had now cut the series deficit to 3-2 and had now won 2 of 3 games on Portland's ice.
Now the challenge for Spokane is to repeat the result on home ice. The Chiefs are just 1-5 at the Spokane Arena against Portland this season, and 0-2 in the series. Spokane will need to change that Monday night when they host the Winterhawks in game 6 of the series. If the Chiefs are able to do that Monday, a game 7 would be played in Portland the following night. It will be interesting to see if Yamamoto and McGrew can follow up with goal scoring performances, and if the Chiefs can play the simple game they have shown in Portland on their home ice. I'll have the call on 1510 KGA on Monday, and hopefully Tuesday, with the pre-game shows at 6:30 pm and the puck drops at 7:05 pm. Here's to hopefully continuing the season, and we'll see you at the rink!
