The Spokane Chiefs can't move up or down in the WHL standings in their final regular-season games, but Friday's 7-2 loss to Seattle still left a bad taste in the mouth with the postseason approaching. Read story

The Chiefs were still within striking distance through two-plus periods on Friday, but three Seattle goals in 9 minutes put the game way out of reach.

 

"Even at 2-0 (after two periods), we were fortunate," Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur said. "We weren't sharp."

 

Neither team could have improved its playoff standing by winning, but Nachbaur was still worried about the game's lopsided nature.

 

"It concerns me," he said. "Say what you want, but it's your actions out on the ice, and our actions weren't very competitive, nor were they hard-working."

 

Seattle and Spokane hadn't played in nearly eight weeks. The Thunderbirds won their final five games against the Chiefs.

 

"We knew they were good coming in," Nachbaur said. "They're ahead of us in the standings and whether it's the disrespect factor, or we can't move up in the standings, you'd have to ask the players that. But I wasn't excited about standing behind the bench and watching that effort."

 

 

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