Chiefs Putting It All Together Team Has Stepped It Up, Can Win Series Tonight

When they’re on top of their game, the Spokane Chiefs pose a tough question.

How do you stop everybody?

It happens, but not all that often since Jan. 8.

The Chiefs have stepped out of obscurity one by one. The balance that began to emerge just after New Year’s is difficult to check.

Spokane is 26-12-3 since Jan. 8 and 19-8-2 after trading star defenseman Bryan McCabe to Brandon on Feb. 2. The Chiefs head into tonight’s Game 7 of the Western Hockey League West Division semifinals in Kennewick with a scoring punch that goes four lines deep - and the hope that they can continue to sit on Daymond Langkow.

Babcock prefers to control the pace and avoid a shootout on the larger ice surface of the Tri-Cities Coliseum.

The Americans boast the top three playoff scorers in the league - Terry Ryan (19 points in 10 games), Langkow (17 points) and Chad Cabana (16 points). Brent Ascroft (11 points) is another threat.

“When it’s the last shot that wins, or when it’s wheeling and dealing, it doesn’t favor us at all,” Babcock said. “They’re a highly skilled hockey team. Grinding it out, checking it out - a slow-paced game - is to our advantage.”

Since Jan. 8, when the Chiefs launched an eightgame win streak and climbed out of the division cellar, it’s gotten tougher for the opposition to match up with Babcock’s line changes.

On Tuesday night, Jason Podollan and the rookies, Greg Leeb and Trent Whitfield, made the difference, but the Chiefs have won on nights when Podollan has been quiet.

The boys from Burnaby, British Columbia - John Cirjak and Joe Cardarelli - have left their mark on the playoffs.

Veteran Jeremy Stasiuk has been spectacular with a teamleading eight goals in 10 playoff games. The 20-year-old winger is eighth in the league in playoff points.

Dmitri Leonov is on a one point-per-game pace since Jan. 1. Jay Bertsch (three goals in his eight playoff games) has emerged as a threat.

Kevin Sawyer and Darren Sinclair have had their moments with the puck - Sawyer with a pair of playoff goals, Sinclair with two goals and three assists.

Mike Haley (three goals) and hard-shooting Randy Favaro are also among a dozen forwards who’ve made contributions.

“It’s almost gotten scary,” Babcock said. “Who knows what’s going to happen (tonight).”

The Tri-City vs. Spokane winner goes on to the West Division finals that start in Kamloops on Saturday night.