As the Chiefs entered the final week of the first half of the Western Hockey League season, they found themselves in a distant third place in the U.S. Division, a far cry from where pre-season prognosticators had predicted the club in September. After starting the season ranked 6th in the entire Canadian Hockey League, Spokane was nowhere close to the poll and 15 points back of first place Everett in the U.S. The team had not planned on being without their leading scorer from last year, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, for all but a game and a half of the first half either, but after spending time in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings, and then getting hurt in his second game back, the Chiefs have had to shuttle their front lines to try and find the offensive cohesion they had shown at the end of the previous season.
Through much of the first half, Spokane has succeeded scoring, but on the defensive end, they have struggled. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, it was the offense that went missing in their last game as they were shut out for the first time this season in a 2-0 loss at Everett last Sunday. Spokane didn't have long to try to exact some revenge though, as they hosted the Silvertips in the first contest of a three game week to send the team into the Christmas break. The club had dropped 4 of the first 5 games in the 8 game season series to the Silvertips, but 4 of those 5 games had been played in Everett. The Chiefs had only hosted the Tips in one game, that in the season opener on November 3rd when Everett skunked the Chiefs 6-2. Spokane was going to be short handed in Wednesday's re-match as well, as defensemen Ty Smith and Filip Kral, the team's top 2 D-men, were off at camps for Canada and the Czech Republic respectively for the World Junior Tournament. Anderson-Dolan also made his way to Canada's camp in a hopeful sign he is getting close to returning to the Chiefs lineup.
After being blanked in Sunday's game in Everett in which the team put up just 22 shots, the team hoped to get some offensive spark early in Wednesday's contest. It didn't quite work out that way as the Silvertips jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a power play goal from Connor Dewar just 3:50 into the game. Spokane didn't get much going offensively until late in the first as Everett took three straight penalties in the final 2 minutes. The Chiefs took advantage as Luc Smith's 5 on 3 power play tally evened the game at one after the first. Everett struck right back early in the second as another power play goal just over 5 minutes in gave the Tips a 2-1 edge. Spokane answered with their second power play goal of the night on Luke Toporowski's rebound at 8:28 to tie the game at two. Just 56 seconds later, Spokane took their first lead on Adam Beckman's tip of a Tyson Feist shot to go up 3-2. The even strength goal was the first the Chiefs had scored on a 5 on 5 situation against Everett in 6 games this season.
Everett came right back though with their 3rd power play goal in as many tries late in the second to even the game at three heading into the third. The third would see the Silvertips out shooting the Chiefs 18-9, but Spokane goalie Bailey Brkin turned aside every chance to send the game to overtime. It marked the third time in 6 games the two clubs had gone to extra time, with the two splitting overtime wins in back to back games in late November. In the OT, the two teams combined for 11 shots, but neither team could score as the two clubs went to a shootout for the first time. Spokane scored in the first round as Nolan Reid put the Chiefs up 1-0. Jake McGrew would put Spokane up 2-0 in round two, and when Brkin stopped Dewar on Everett's second shot, the Chiefs had scored their first shootout win at home since January in 2015.
The victory kept Spokane two points back of Portland for second in the division, and 14 back of Everett at the top of the division. The Chiefs have now handed Everett their only two losses in their last 12 games, and certainly got a boost by beating the second best club in the league without three of their top players. The goal now was to keep it going against as the Chiefs took on Seattle in a home and home series starting Friday in Seattle. The Thunderbirds had won their last game with a victory over Prince George on Tuesday at home, so both clubs hoped to keep their win streaks going. Seattle drew first blood as a Nolan Volcan break away short handed gave the T-Birds a 1-0 lead midway through the first. Spokane would draw even on their next power play though as Jake McGrew's tip with 59 seconds left in the period drew the Chiefs even 1-1 after the first.
The second period would see the team's combine for 5 goals as McGrew opened the scoring with his second of the game just 1:35 in to give Spokane a 2-1 lead. Volcan then scored on his second breakaway of the night at 8:15 to bring Seattle even at 2-2. Just 1:21 later, Adam Beckman scored his second goal in as many games on a rebound of a McGrew shot to make it 3-2 Chiefs. Seattle re-tied the game after a Chiefs turnover net front with just over 2 minutes left in the period to square the game at 3-3. It looked as if the teams would head to the third tied, but in the waning seconds, Seattle goalie Liam Hughes turned the puck over behind his own net to an open Eli Zummack, who stuffed the gift into the open net with only 14 seconds left in the period to give the Chiefs a 4-3 lead after two.
It turned out to be the goal of the game, as Bailey Brkin turned aside all 13 Seattle shots in the third period, and McGrew capped his second career hat trick and first 4 point game with an empty net goal in the final half minute to cap a 5-3 Chiefs victory. Spokane had now beaten Seattle in all 4 meetings this season, and clinched the 6 game season series with the victory. The mission was now for Spokane to finish off the first half on an up note, as the team headed home to face the very same Thunderbirds outfit Sunday at the Spokane Arena. Dawson Weatherill got the start in net, looking for his 2nd win over the T-Birds on home ice this season.
Just like Friday night, it was the Thunderbirds that jumped out to the early lead as Nolan Volcan scored his 3rd goal in the last 2 games vs. Spokane as his goal 3:36 into the game made it 1-0 Seattle. The Chiefs evened things at one on Adam Beckman's 16th of the season at 11:39 and then took the lead on a Luke Toporowski power play goal at 15:44 to go up 2-1 after one. Seattle would even things at two with a power play goal after Spokane took a 5 minute major penalty early in the second period. The T-Birds then re-took the lead with a Dillon Hamaluik goal less than 3 minutes later to make it 3-2 Seattle. The Chiefs answered with Luc Smith's one timer with less than 5 minutes left in the period to send the game to the third tied at three.
Beckman's second goal of the night just 1:04 into the third period lput Spokane back on top 4-3, but Seattle's Matt Wedman scored his second of the game at 8:07 to make it 4-4. Chiefs defenseman Noah King scored his first goal as a Chief at 10:23 to put Spokane back up 5-4, but another Seattle power play goal late in the third brought the Thunderbirds back into a 5-5 tie and sent the game to overtime.
It was the second OT contest between the two, and for the second straight time, it was the Chiefs that got the game winner. Eli Zummack took a Beckman pass and weaved his way up ice through the Seattle defense and scored the clincher on a back hand 1:47 into the extra session to give Spokane their third straight win and 5th in a row over Seattle with a 6-5 victory. The win pulled the Chiefs into a second place tie in the U.S. Division with Portland with 42 points at the halfway mark of the season as the club is 14 points back of first place Everett. Spokane will now get an 11 day break as they won't be back on the ice until December 28th when they host Everett. The Chiefs will still be without Ty Smith, Filip Kral and Jaret Anderson-Dolan as they'll be at World Juniors, but the rest of club will be back and ready to go. It was a great finish to the season's first half and let's hope the second half starts as well as the first half ended. A Merry Christmas to all of you and we'll see you in the second half!