Sure, the Spokane Chiefs went 2-2 over a four-game stretch this week, but they got knocked down and knocked down hard in their two losses. However, they went down swinging.
Spokane opened the week in Canada on Tuesday against the best team in the league, the Vancouver Giants. Looking to get revenge after being soundly trounced on their own ice, the Chiefs came out strong after falling behind 1-0, scoring twice in 2:41 to take an early lead. Vancouver rallied quickly, tying the game at 2 on the power play before the first period ended.
The Giants dominated the second, scoring two more before adding an empty netter in the third to defeat the Chiefs 5-2.
Spokane came back strong the next night in Kamloops. And by Spokane, I mean Drayson Bowman.
Bowman scored four goals, all in the first 32:31 of the game, as the Chiefs defeated the Blazers 5-2. Backup netminder James Reid stopped 34 of 36 shots faced and captain Justin McCrae added a goal in the victory.
The floodgates were officially open, as the Portland Winter Hawks visited for the final time on the season. Seven different players scored, including Blake Gal twice, as the Chiefs blanked Portland 8-0. It was the third time on the season, and second time at home, that the Chiefs scored at least eight times and the W ran their record to a perfect 36-0 when Spokane scores at least three goals.
But on Saturday, Spokane came out and were thoroughly outplayed by the rival Tri-City Americans in a game the Chiefs needed to have any shot at winning the U.S. Division crown.
After the Chiefs tied the game at one toward the end of the first, the Ams completely took over. Kruise Reddick lit the lamp with just over a minute left in the opening stanza and three Tri goals in 3:03 midway through the second blew the game open at 5-1.
Spokane would score a meaningless goal late to fall 5-2, but the story of the game came when the gloves dropped over and over again in the third.
Chiefs enforcer Ryan Letts crashed the net hard and ran straight into Tri-City goaltender Chet Pickard, leading all eight skaters on the ice to start brawling. Pickard was injured on Letts' charging major, as 115 minutes in penalties were handed out and all eight skaters headed back to the locker room.
Not to be outdone, just over 10 minutes later, a full line brawl erupted and 10 more skaters called it a night. The brawl was highlighted by Kruise Reddick (5'9, 172) and Jared Spurgeon (5'9, 170) going at it. Spurgeon, not one to fight back much and one who has never had a fighting major in junior hockey, was being handled easily by Reddick, until Spokane defenseman Cory Baldwin (6'5, 204) made a beeline for Reddick. Tri was not pleased at the tale of the tape and would respond. At that 16:42 mark, 166 penalty minutes were added to the list and by game's end, the total reached 342: 170 for the Ams, 172 for the Chiefs.
With just seconds left, Tri-City defenseman Mitch McColm (6'4, 212) attacked Spokane forward Mitch Wahl (6'0, 185), causing another scrum to break out. Chiefs netminder Dustin Tokarski, meanwhile, spent time barking at Mitch Fadden and McColm, challenging both to a fight. McColm was game for it, but officials stepped in, probably on his behalf (Baldwin destroyed McColm in a fight earlier this season) and he was escorted to the locker room.
It was a rough week for Spokane, but you can bet Friday the 13th is circled on their calendar. Barring a New York Mets-like collapse, the division is Tri's regardless of what happens between now and then. But the 13th is the next meeting between the clubs and may be a tone-setter heading into the postseason. And there won't be any love lost by then, especially if Pickard isn't able to return for that matchup.
Looking ahead, Spokane travels to Seattle to take on the Thunderbirds on Tuesday and then the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday. From there, the Chiefs head north to Prince George for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday night versus the Cougars. Game time on Tuesday is 7:05 p.m., while the other three games begin at 7 p.m.
No comments:
Post a Comment