Chiefs Update: Series Preview

It's not too often that a defending Memorial Cup Championship team returns most of its players, advances to the second round of the postseason and is going in to that series with fans hoping they don't get swept. Unfortunately, it's a scary and very real thought for the Spokane Chiefs as they open their second-round series tomorrow versus the Western Conference Champion Vancouver Giants.

In two regular-season matchups with Vancouver, the Chiefs were outscored 9-2, including a 4-0 shutout in their own barn which snapped an 11-game winning streak. Vancouver won 30 of 36 games at home this season and won 57 of 72 overall.

Spokane, meanwhile, limped into the playoffs, missing defensemen Cory Baldwin, Mike Reddington, Trevor Glass and Jared Cowen when they opened up against Seattle. Forward Ryan Letts also missed the first two games due to suspension, but he, along with Glass, returned and the Chiefs won all three games with them in the lineup.

The offense stepped up after losing Game 2, scoring 13 goals in the final three games and the special teams played extremely well in the series (4 for 20 on the man advantage and 20 for 22, including two shorthanded goals, on the penalty kill). Head to head, the Chiefs penalty kill was great (9 for 10), but they only had five power plays and failed to convert every time.

The key to Spokane having a chance in this series is two-fold. First, the defense needs to play well. Spokane should get a great effort each time out from netminder Dustin Tokarski, but if he's facing 35 or 40 shots, it's going to be tough for him to limit the Giants. If the D can hold Vancouver around 30, Spokane should be in each game. Secondly, the Chiefs need production from their top two lines. The only two goals scored in the regular season versus Vancouver came from defenseman Brenden Kichton and fourth-liner Steve Kuhn. They'll need the Bowman-Roman-Calla line to make some noise and the Wahl-Johnson-Koper line to provide secondary scoring if they want to win.

Spokane has the edge when it comes to experience, but Vancouver, from top to bottom, has the more talented team. It shouldn't be a clean sweep, but it will be tough for Spokane to survive and advance in this series.

Prediction: Vancouver in six.