Chiefs Push Americans To Brink Leeb, Podollan Help Force Game 7

The Spokane Chiefs, last in the West through the first week of January, are one win away from the Western Hockey League West Division finals.

With an explosive third period Tuesday night, the Chiefs beat the Tri-City Americans 4-2 to push the division semifinals to a seventh and decisive game Thursday night in Kennewick.

The Spokane vs. Tri-City winner goes to Kamloops - probably on Saturday night - to open the best-of-seven West Division finals.

The loser is eliminated.

Greg Leeb and Jason Podollan scored the game-turning third-period goals in front of 4,939 in the Coliseum.

“There’s no home-ice advantage in a Game 7,” Podollan said. “That’s the beauty of it. We’re going in there where anything can happen. The momentum is obviously coming our way.”

It was a three-point night for Leeb, one of two rookies to come up big in what could have been the Chiefs’ final game.

Trent Whitfield, who tied the game 2-2 in the second period and assisted Leeb on his third-period game-winner, was the other big-time 17-year-old.

“I won the draw back to Boschman,” Whitfield said of the moments leading up to his goal. “He walked to the center and dumped it on net. I got to the net and just banged in the rebound. Nothing fancy.”

Leeb had a hand in both strikes down the stretch. His one-timer from the middle of the right faceoff circle just 1:40 into the third period put the Chiefs up 3-2.

“Great goal,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “Unbelievable goal. To score right away got the crowd behind us so hard that our guys were coming out of the box in a big-time hurry.”

The smallest player on the ice at 5-9 and 150 pounds, Leeb assisted on Podollan’s second goal 37 seconds later.

Leeb shook off Tri-City defenseman Pavel Kriz at the blue line and fed Podollan beyond the top of the right faceoff circle. Podollan’s blast inside the right pipe made it 4-2, Spokane.

“Leeber made a great play,” Podollan said. ‘The puck was turned over in the neutral zone, he picked it up and I was just waiting in line for him to catch up.

“Leeb beat that one last guy and shoveled her over. The defenseman was in front of me for a screen. I was in pretty good shooting position, so I wound up and let her go. It went off the inside of the post.”

The Chiefs scored the first goal for the fourth straight game in this series when Podollan, alone in front of the net with the Chiefs on a power play, had time to toy with Tri-City goaltender David Trofimenkoff.

“I knew I had time,” Podollan said. “How much, I didn’t know. But the guys said I probably could have stood there for another 10 seconds and put on a few more moves. It’s nice to have time to think and do what you want to do with the puck.”

The 1-0 lead lasted through most of the period, until Tri-City’s Mark Hurley drove one by Jarrod Daniel’s blocker pad with 22 seconds left in the period.

Boyd Olson gave Tri-City a 2-1 lead at 5:45 of the second period, taking advantage of a Chiefs giveaway at the blue line.

Whitfield tied it with 5 minutes left in the second, scoring his fifth goal in as many games.

That set up the impressive third period, with the Chiefs taking care of business at both ends.

“This was our best game in this series by far,” Babcock said.

The Chiefs had to survive a typically torrid final 2 minutes. TriCity’s Terry Ryan scored with 1:58 to go, but the goal was waved off when it was ruled that Ryan directed the puck in with his skate.

Spokane captain Kevin Sawyer took a roughing penalty that put the Americans on the power play with 1:23 left, but the Chiefs’ penalty killers - with one great skate save by Daniel - snuffed it.The reference was to Sawyer willingness to take on and briefly beat on the muscle of Tri-City, Ryan Brown.

The Chiefs lost defenseman John Shockey with 12:52 left in the first period. Byron Briske’s check from behind left Shockey with a sprained neck and a cut chin.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SERIES FINALE At Tri-City, Thursday, 7 p.m.