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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Despite Fast Start, Chiefs Can’t Finish Tacoma’s Varada Gets In On Four Goals As Rockets Win Whl First Round Playoff Game, 5-2

For 20 minutes Saturday night, Spokane flirted with the unrealistic - twice taking first-period leads in a game that could have put the fifth-place Chiefs two games up on the two higher seeds in Round One of the Western Hockey League playoffs.

But Vaclav Varada’s soft hands played roles in four Tacoma goals, and Todd MacDonald rejected 36 shots as the Rockets came from behind and won going away, 5-2.

“They outjumped us,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “We were second to way more pucks than we needed to be. They were fresh and took advantage of us a little bit in the second period.

“You have to be a little more desperate in the playoffs than we were tonight.”

Tacoma is at Tri-City tonight, with a chance to climb into the WHL West Division semifinals. As the top seed in this three-team round-robin, the Rockets need only win two games to advance.

The Chiefs, who earned the weekend split they needed, go back to work Thursday night in Tri-City. They’re at home Friday night with the Rockets.

This is elimination week for one of the three clubs.

As they did Friday night, the unsung continued to hit high notes for the Chiefs.

Jay Bertsch scored his third goal of the playoffs to put Spokane up 1-0. Dmitri Leonov notched playoff goal No.2 later in the first period as the Chiefs jumped up 2-1.

Randy Favaro assisted on the first Spokane goal, Jeremy Stasiuk and John Shockey on the second.

Varada, an unlikely European import in that he’s a physical presence as well as a 50-goal scorer, countered with two goals and a pair of assists.

The 18-year-old right wing from the Czech Republic - overlooked in balloting for rookie of the year - was asked if this was his biggest game.

“They coming,” Varada said, smiling.

Varada assisted on key second-period goals by Luke Curtin and Mike Piersol.

Marty Flichel scored into an empty net with 33 seconds left after the Chiefs - on the power play - pulled goaltender Jarrod Daniel to put on six attackers.

Effective on the power play Friday night in a 9-5 win over Tri-City, the Spokane power-play unit went scoreless in six opportunities.

Playing its second game in as many nights, Spokane outshot the Rockets 38-26 before 3,558 at the Tacoma Dome.

But Tacoma won for the eighth time in March, a club record.

Where’s the March swoon the Rockets are famous for?

“I think that curse is behind us,” MacDonald said.

Babcock saluted both goaltenders.

“He (MacDonald) made some huge saves,” Babcock said. “In the end that was probably the difference in the hockey game, although our goaltending was good as well.”

MacDonald’s biggest save may have come midway in the second period, when - diving - he robbed Spokane sniper Jason Podollan with the score stuck on 4-2.

“After the game we played last time (a 1-0 Rockets win) I thought it would be a goaltending duel tonight,” MacDonald said. “It turned out that he (Daniel) played a great game and kept his team in it.

“They came hard but I think we bumped hard and were the more physical team.”

Tacoma 5, Spokane 2

Spokane 2 0 0 - 2 Tacoma 2 2 1 - 5

First period-1, Spokane, Bertsch 3 (Favaro), 10:32. 2, Tacoma, Varada 1 (Wade, McLaren), 10:52. 3, Spokane, Leonov 2 (Stasiuk, Shockey), 13:02. 4, Tacoma, Curtin 1 (Varada, Flichel), 14:05. Key penalties-Bertsch, Spo, served by Hope, :15; Henderson, Tac, 8:05.

Second period-4, Tacoma, Varada 2 (Alexeev, Flichel), 2:39 (pp). 5, Tacoma, Piersol 1 (Varada), 3:23. Key penalties-Magarrell, Spo, 2:26; Hansen, Tac, 4:43; Cirjak, Spo, 5:14; Shockey, Spo, 14:46; MacDonald, Tac, served by Butt, 18:02.

Third period-7, Tacoma, Flichel 1, 19:27 (sh-en). Key penalties-Piersol, Tac, 6:41; Flichel, Tac, 13:54; MacDonald, Tac, 18:18.

Power-play opp.-Spokane 0 of 6. Tacoma 1 of 4.Saves- Spokane, Daniel 6-6-6-18. Tacoma, MacDonald 11-13-12-36.A-3,558.

Portland 3, Seattle 2 (OT)

Judd Casper’s goal 5 minutes into overtime lifted the Winter Hawks over the Thunderbirds in a Western Hockey League playoff game Saturday at Seattle.

Richard Zednik and Layne Roland also scored for the Hawks, who overcame a 2-0 Seattle lead.

Chris Herperger and Deron Quint scored for the Thunderbirds.

Scott Langkow had 41 saves for Seattle while Doug Bonner had 27 saves for the Thunderbirds.

Portland has a 1-1 record in the four-game round-robin series with Seattle and the Kamloops Blazers. Seattle is 0-1 and Kamloops is 1-0.