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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Chiefs beat Victoria, end two-game slide

Derrick Pouliot, left, collides with Chiefs’ Colin Valcourt. (Dan Pelle)
Derrick Pouliot, left, collides with Chiefs’ Colin Valcourt. (Dan Pelle)

After back-to-back losses to Portland and Tri-City, the Spokane Chiefs scored a 4-2 victory on the road over the Victoria Royals on Tuesday night. Details from the game are below.

Also, in case you missed it, here's a feature on Chiefs import forward Dominik Uher - who came a long way to play hockey in America.

 

The Spokane Chiefs used a pair of rebounds to rebound from a pair of losses on Tuesday night.

The Chiefs scored three times in the third period and goalie Mac Engel made 26 saves as the Chiefs scored a 4-2 win over the host Victoria Royals in Western Hockey League action.

The fifth-place Chiefs (33-22-4-3, 73 points) moved within three points of the Vancouver Giants for fourth place in the Western Conference playoff race.

After Victoria’s Dakota Conroy scored 5 minutes, 17 seconds into the first period, Spokane’s Mitch Holmberg scored his 25th goal of the season. Holmberg’s initial shot was turned away, but Collin Valcourt kept the rebound alive for Spokane and got the puck to Holmberg, who snapped the puck in at 12:24.

After a scoreless second, Valcourt scored at 1:30 in the third on the rebound of Brenden Kichton’s shot. Victoria tied it back up before Blake Gal scored the game-winner on a patient feed from Steve Kuhn at 16:40 and Corbin Baldwin added an empty-net goal at 18:54.

“That (Kuhn to Gal) play was obviously a huge play and for me the difference in the game,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said in a radio interview.

“(After Victoria’s second goal) our guys didn’t sag and from then on I don’t think we lost a shift. … It got tied at 2-2 and we got back to the fundamentals.”

The Chiefs play Victoria again on Wednesday night before heading to Prince George to take on the Cougars Friday and Saturday night.



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