Chiefs Build For Whl Playoffs With 31st Win
Just exactly when it happened is anybody’s guess, but at some point in the last month the future became now for the surging Spokane Chiefs.
Scoring strikes by Darren Sinclair, Jeremy Stasiuk and Cougar killer Jason Podollan - and another strong night in goal by backup netminder David Lemanowicz - carried the Chiefs to a 3-0 Western Hockey League win over Prince George on Saturday night in the Coliseum.
Thus, in a rebuilding year the Chiefs equaled last year’s total of 31 wins heading into tonight’s regular-season wrapup with Prince George at 6.
In the night’s other game of interest, Tacoma shaded Seattle 4-3 to secure second in the WHL West and determine the Chiefs’ place in the round-robin playoff format.
Spokane will meet Tacoma at home and Tri-City on the road in the first round. One of the three clubs will be eliminated. The two survivors move into the conference semifinals.
The Chiefs open the first round Friday night in the Coliseum with the Tri-City Americans. They play Game No. 2 Saturday night in Tacoma.
Given up for dead Jan. 1, the Chiefs are on fire at playoff time. They are 17-17-1 at home and 20-10-3 after a 11-26-1 start.
Suddenly nobody can afford to overlook the Chiefs, who started 1995 in last place.
“Did I know it was going to go this well in the second half?” coach Mike Babcock said. “No. We worked harder and a young team got healthier and better.”
Babcock deflects credit, but coaxing the Chiefs out of a state of pre-Christmas disbelief is coaching. And coaching was an undeniable factor in the turnaround.
Unbeaten in its last five games, Spokane wore down Prince George goalkeeper Mike (Blocker) Walker with a steady, if unspectacular, assortment of 44 shots. Walker kept it close with 41 saves before 5,352 in the Coliseum, but it was Lemanowicz in the opposite net who posted the impressive number.
Zero.
It was Lemanowicz’ second shutout of the season in only his 11th start and the third of his career.
“The team played so well in front of me,” Lemanowicz said, “that there were 10-minute spans when I had absolutely no action.”
Although it was a relaxed shutout for Lemanowicz, who faced only 25 shots, the Chiefs’ goaltender earned it when Steve Dowhy - who has beaten the Chiefs for five goals this year - broke free late in the game for a one-on-one chance at the net.
“I kind of knew where he was going because, when we played Prince George earlier in the year, he had a couple of breakaways on J.D. (Jarrod Daniel, the Chiefs’ regular goalie),” Lemanowicz said. “He’s either gone to the five hole or the lower right side. That’s what I pretty much banked on, and I anticipated right.”
The shot was close, Lemanowicz added, “because he held it until the last possible second. I was starting to get worried because against J.D. he usually he just snapped it.”
Lemanowicz shrugged off the mention that his numbers - goals-against average and saves percentage - are more impressive than Daniel’s marks.
“J.D. played earlier in the year when our team was struggling,” Lemanowicz said. “He carried us earlier in the year, through the good and the bad. I only had the bad a couple of times.”
With a two-point night, Podollan pushed his total to 14 points in seven games with the Cougars (14-53-3), who lost their 14th straight and have not won since Feb. 12.
Spokane 3, Prince George 0
Prince George 0 0 0 - 0 Spokane 0 2 1 - 3
First period-None. Key penalties-Shoaf, PG, 4:27; Haley, Spo, 9:08; Prince George bench, too many men on the ice, served by Petrovicky, 11:47; Petrovicky, PG, 15:46; Magarrell, Spo, 19:11.
Second period-1, Spokane, Sinclair 16 (Podollan), 6:24. 2, Spokane, Stasiuk 26 (Sawyer, Magarrell), 16:24. Key penalties-Gillam, Spo, 1:40; Fletcher, Spo, 1:40; Leonov, Spo, 7:48.
Third period-3, Spokane, Podollan 43 (Leeb, Boschman), 4:16. Key penalties- Van Horlick, PG, double minor, misconduct, 5:03; Catellier, PG, 10:58; Gillam, Spo, 17:09.
Power-play opp.-Prince George 0 of 6. Spokane 0 of 6.Saves-Prince George, Walker 7-13-21-41. Spokane, Lemanowicz 9-6-10-25.A-5,3,52.