Before Easter brunch and a wet slog to the Rose Garden, which might need some beams re-enforced after Trail Blazer fans raised the roof during the NBA comeback yesterday, a short  hockey offering.

The Spokane Chiefs expect the Winterhawks to come out flying tonight in Game 2 of the WHL's Western Conference championship after the visitors won the first game 2-1 on Friday. Kerry Eggers of The Portland Tribune has a  lot from the Hawks, who lost the opener last series at home then won three straight, including two in Kelowna.

In the  Eastern Conference, Kootenay has won twice at Medicine Hat.

The Spokane Chiefs will open the Western Conference finals at Portland Friday night without leading scorer Tyler Johnson as he serves a one-game suspension, the Western Hockey League announced Wednesday afternoon.

Johnson was given a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for a knee-on-knee hit with Brendan Shinniman of Tri-Cities on Tuesday night. The Americans, leading 1-0 at that point, scored on the power play and took a 3-0 lead into the third period.

The Chiefs rallied for four straight goals and eventually won the game 5-4 in overtime to win the best-of-7 series 4-2.  Here is our story, the story from The Tri-City Herald and columnist John Blanchette's take.

“That’s as good of victory as I’ve been involved in in junior hockey,” said Spokane coach Don Nachbaur, a former WHL player, who is coaching is in his 13th season coaching in the league. “Being three goals down and coming back against a good team like that is a testament to their character.”

The Chiefs won the last two games of their first-round series with Chilliwack without Johnson, who had 115 points and led the league with 53 goals, when he was injured in Game 3.

Meanwhile, the WHL made it official, Chilliwack is relocating to Victoria.

After one of their most amazing comebacks in memory, Levko Koper (25 above, celebrating in the Colin Mulvany photo) gave the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 series clinching win over the Tri-City Americans 6:39 into overtime Tuesday night, bringing a crowd of 6,083 to their feet in the Arena.

The Chiefs head to Portland for the Western Conference Finals beginning Friday.

Fighting to stay alive, the Americans showed much more life than the Chiefs, building a 3-0 lead after two periods but Spokane came back with three goals in the first 3:13 of the third period to tie the game.

3 stars: Patrick Holland, TC; 2, Kenton Miller. 1, Koper

Long box below

Blake Gal stepped out of the penalty box and into Spokane Chiefs' lore, scoring 4:57 into overtime to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 win and 3-2 series lead over the Tri-City Americans Sunday night.

Game 6 is in Spokane Tuesday night with Game 7, if necessary, on Wednesday.

Seconds after a James Reid glove save saved the Chiefs, the Chiefs broke out and Dominik Uher found Gal down the left wall, where he snapped off a shot that gave them command of the series.

3 stars: 3, Patrick Holland, tC; 2, Jared Cowen, Spo, 1, James Reid, Spo.

Long box below.

Desperation seems to be the buzz word for the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans as they head into Game 5 tonight tied 2-2 in their best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series. A come-from-behind win in double overtime gave the Americans renewed confidence. For long-time Chiefs fans, the name Terry Ryan may be haunting.

The Spokane Chiefs put the clamps on the Tri-City Americans, regaining the home-ice advantage in the best of-7 Western Hockey League series with a 4-1 win at the Toyota Center in Kennewick Tuesday game.

The Chiefs, leading the series 2-1, stay here for a game Thursday night with Game 5 back here on Sunday.

Dominik Uher gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead about 90 seconds in, snapping a high, hard wrist shot past Drew Owsley.  A couple of rebound goals a few minutes apart midway through the second period made it 3-0. Blake Gal got the first one on a power play, off a Corbin Baldwin shot from the point. Kento Miller got the second, banging in a rebound off a Levko Koper shot set up by Anthony Bardaro.

The Americans had a flurry after that but only Neal Prokop's slap shot from the left circle  got past James Reid.

The Chiefs had too many great chances to count in out-shooting the Americans 41-21 before Darren Kramer iced it with less than 3 minutes remaining.

The three-stars. 3, Prokop; 2, Jared Cown. 1, Gal

Short box below.  Here is the story.

With the Spokane Chiefs gone for a week - if not for the season - with soft-pedaled today's Western Hockey League playoff game at Tri-City. The Chiefs, tied with the Americans 1-1 in their best-of-7 second-round series, play in Tri Thursday and Sunday as well. They have to win one to regain home ice, but they need more since the Ams proved in Game One they can win in Spokane. Game 6, if necessary, is at the Arena next Tuesday.

As the host newspaper, the Tri-City Herald had a bigger advance … and note that TC defenseman Tyler Schmidt was suspended for tonight's game because of a game misconduct last game … and the Chiefs were fined $250 because the player Schmidt hit, Darren Kramer, went to the TC lockerroom, opened the door and confronted Schmidt. … Don't know the exact details of that but there was a WHL official at the game, so it apparently wasn't as serious as the Americans made it out to be after the game, but wasn't a nothing incident as the Chiefs hinted.

One more thing … Chilliwack. The Bruins is movin' … and it hasn't been a pretty process. You've got to question the league and the owners in this situation.

UPDATE: Monday morning, computer issues kept us from linking Sunday night.

The Spokane Chiefs rebounded from a disappointing opener, cashing in on three of five power plays, to whip the Tri-City Americans 6-2 Sunday night and even their best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series 1-2.

The next three games are in Kennewick Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

(As for the other series in the West, Portland evened its series with a 6-3 win over Kelowna.

Spokane came out of the first period with a 2-1 lead on a pair of Mitch Holmberg goals. Then in the second it was Matt Marantz, Kevko Koper and Steve Kuhn.

The Americans pulled Drew Owsley and put in 15-year recent Bantam signee Eric Comrie for the third period. Justin Fester scored for the Americans but then Tyler Johnson got that back. Holmberg, Koper and Johnson had power play goals.

Three stars: 3, Tyler Johnson. 2, Jared Cowen. 1, Mitch Holmberg

Long box below.

A couple of first period goals where James Reid couldn't control the puck and his defense wasn't there to bail him out cost the Spokane Chiefs in their West Hockey League playoff game with the Tri-City Americans.

Kruise Reddick and Brendan Shinniman took advantage and then Jordan Messier added a goal midway through the third period to give the Americans a 3-1 win in the best-of-7 opener at the Arena. Game 2 is tonight in the Arena.

The Chiefs out-shot the Americans but struggled to get the puck past Drew Owsley, who ddin't have to make a lot of specular plays. Steve Kuhn had the Spokane goal late in the first period.

Though Reid gave up those early goals he also stopped a third period penalty shot by Carter Ashton.

Three stars: 3, Reddick; 2, Kuhn; 1, Owsley.

Long box below.

For those of you not streaking into the Arena for Game One of the Western Hockey League second-round playoff series, there were advances today for the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans. Hope the series is as good as the participants are expecting.

The second round of the WHL playoffs got underway on Thursday with Kelowna surprising Western Conference top seed Portland, 5-1 - in Portland.

The Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans jump into action on Saturday at the Arena. As the game  nears, we took a quick look back at their classic 2008 series, which still has a few participants preparing for the next champion.

Meanwhile, down in Tri-City, Annie Fowler visited with Americans' goalie Drew Owsley, who seems to step up in the playoffs. The Americans also signed their first-round Bantam pick.

A little bit of Spokane Chiefs news as the second-round playoff series with Western Hockey League rival Tri-City nears.

First, I draw your attention to this artcile on former Chief Kurt Sauer that we ran in the newspaper on Thursday. It's quite a sad tale.

The best-of-7 playoff series begins Satuday at the Arena, with game 2 on Sunday (1 hr. early faceoff, 6 p.m.). Games 3-4-5 are next week in Tri on Tuesday, Thursday and, if necessary, Sunday again. Games 1 & 4 are on SWX.

Saturday's game is Buck Night for dogs and cola. Fans will be given a white towel and are encouraged to wear white both nights for a White Out.

Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald had a chat with a star from both teams who played youth hockey together.

Before I start this Spokane Chiefs post, I want to pass this along … former Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski, (pictured above) playing for Tampa Bay's AHL team in Norfolk, Va., was taken out of a game Saturday after getting cut in the neck with a skate. It required 30 stitches and Tokarski and a teammate posted the pix on Twitter. (While on the Bolt Prospects page, check down the right side to see where Tyler Johnson is among the Lightning prospects before he plays a professional game.)

The Chiefs play Tri-City in a rare 2-3-2 series. The usual scheduling is because both buildings are full next weekend. The Chiefs lost this Friday to Elton John. The teams stretched the 3 out in Tri just for pacing (and I think they want me to drive a lot) because next weekend there is an Amway Convention in the Arena and a two-day youth wrestling tournament in the Toyota Center.

So, since the first game isn't until Saturday, our stories won't begin until later in the week, giving me an opportunity to catch up on my other duties.

The Spokane Chiefs, without their leading scorer, jumped to a 3-0 lead after one period and held on for a 4-2 win over the chilliwack Bruins Thursday night, to open a 3-1 lead in their best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series. Game 5 is at the Arena Saturday night.

Stars: 3, Robin Soudek, Chil; 2, Corbin Baldwin, Spo; 1, Mike Aviani, Spo. Lonx box below.

Kevin Sundher scored the last two goals of the game, the second 3:20 into overtime, to rally the Chilliwack Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Spokane Chiefs Wednesday night at the Arena.

The Bruins shocked the 4,737 fans by rallying from a 3-0 deficit entering the third period. Lucas Gore made 54 saves for Chilliwack.

The Western Hockey League playoff series is now 2-1 for Spokane with Game 4 tonight and Game 5 Saturday at the Arena.

We also have a Colin Mulvany slideshow from the game - the picture above is when Tyler Stahl sent Tyler Johnson to the ice late in the second period. Stahl received a game misconduct, Johnson sat out the third period and is questionable for tonight's game.

3 stars: 3, Anthony Bardaro, Spokane; 2, Lucas Gore, Chilliwack; 1, Kevin Sundher.

Long box below.

Kevin Sundher scored the last two goals of the game, the second 3:20 into overtime, to rally the Chilliwack Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Spokane Chiefs at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.

Brenden Kichton, the subject of a story in the Wednesday morning paper, and the Spokane Chiefs return to action tonight for Game 3 of their Western Hockey League playoff series with Chilliwack.

Spokane swept the first two games in Chilliwack. Game Four is Thursday. A sweep would be good for the Chiefs because it certainly looks like rivals Portland and Tri-City are headed for sweeps, as is Kelowna. The Chiefs would play the Americans, and hold home-ice advantage, for a series that starts April 8 (pending Arena dates and I don't know the Shock schedule).

But first things first. In other news, Seattle fired its coach.

The Spokane Chiefs defeat Chilliwack 5-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Thursday at the Arena. Eric Walsh's story for the Chilliwack Progress is below.

Darren Kramer scored two goals, including the game winner 10 minutes into overtime, as the Spokane Chiefs won their opening game of the Western Hockey League playoffs, 3-2 over the Chilliwack Bruins. The Chiefs stay in Chilliwack for Game 2 in the best-of-7 series tonight before returning to the Arena for the next three games, starting Wednesday. Below is the Chilliwack Prospect story.

The Spokane Chiefs have every reason to be favored when their Western Hockey League playoff series opens in Chilliwack tonight. (Update 11:34).

There is an open debate, read on.