Big Hitter Gives Big Lift Sinclair Scores Two Goals As Spokane Knocks Off Seattle Chiefs 4, Thunderbirds 2

Their 4-2 win over Seattle Wednesday night was all business, fittingly conducted by Darren Sinclair, the Spokane Chiefs’ chairman of the boards.

Sinclair - known throughout the Western Hockey League as much for hitting and boarding as shooting and scoring - brought the Chiefs from a one-goal deficit to a workmanlike win before 5,730 at the Arena.

With Sinclair scoring two goals and assisting on a third, the Chiefs (26-13-3) vaulted back into a three-way first-place tie in the WHL West with idle Tri-City and Kamloops.

Greg Leeb scored the game-winner 45 seconds into the third period as the Chiefs went to 4-0-1 against the Thunderbirds, who lost for the first time in four games and fell to 15-20-4.

It wasn’t artistry, but with Sinclair making a statement, the effort was effective.

The 19-year-old center, who checks the opposition’s top center nearly every shift of every night, was left off the West Division All-Star team. His three-point night was a reminder of what the West Division won’t have in its All-Star lineup on Jan. 23 in Prince George.

“Sinks knows he was right there in the All-Star (selection process),” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “He was definitely considered. He’s a dominant player in the league who gets better every night.”

Sinclair opened a first period of momentum shifts with his 19th goal of the season, a deflection of Sean Gillam’s blast from the right point off the power play 6:57 into the game.

Seattle’s Blair Manning tied it with his wrist shot from the right point, with the T-Birds on the power play.

Seattle took the lead when Patrick Marleau beat Spokane’s Derek Schutz for the puck in a battle of heralded rookies. Marleau stripped Schutz in the slot and put the puck between goaltender David Lemanowicz’ pads at 10:31.

“We created some offense for them by making poor decisions,” Babcock said. “You don’t normally see us do that.”

Spokane’s John Shockey tied it at 2, his shot from the top of the faceoff circle at 18:51 getting through the pads of Seattle’s Doug Bonner with 1:09 left in the period. Sinclair and Jay Bertsch had the assists.

After a scoreless second period Leeb and Cerven teamed up with a decisive give and go, Leeb feeding Cerven and getting the puck back for the wrist shot into the top right corner.

Cerven with the helper ran his scoring streak to five games.

“I thought we took over the game there for a while,” Babcock said. “Even though they were playing with us they weren’t getting a lot of shots (Spokane had a 34-24 edge in shots). When I got a little concerned was in the third period, when we went on the power play and we were just terrible. We didn’t complete a pass. We’ve been working on our power play too much. We need to put it on the shelf and not talk about it.”

The Chiefs came into the game scoreless in their last 13 power-play opportunities. They were one of six in this one.

Sinclair added the insurance with his 20th goal of the year at 7:57 of the third period before a crowd that pushed season attendance to 154,784, a club record.

Chiefs 4, Thunderbirds 2

Seattle 2 0 0 - 2

Spokane 2 0 2 - 4

First period - 1, Spo, Sinclair 19 (Gillam, Hamilton) 6:57 (power play); 2, Sea, Manning 16 (Tompkins, Hrdina) 10:31 (pp); 3, Sea, Marleau 19 (unassisted) 12:18; 4, Spo, Shockey 3 (Bertsch, Sinclair) 18:51. Key penalties - Popp, Sea, 3:58; Seattle bench (too many men on) 6:31; Gillam, Spo, 8:44; Hamilton, Spo, 13:28.

Second period - No scoring. Key penalties - Divisek, Sea, :32; Magarrell, Spo, 3:56; Thompson, Sea, 6:54.

Third period - 5, Spo, Leeb 26 (Cerven, Whitfield) :45; 6, Spo, Sinclair 20 (Bertsch, Gillam) 7:57. Key penalties - Mohagen, Sea, 5:53; Lane, Spo, 13:58; Dekker, Sea, 15:16; Bertssch, Spo, 18:47.

Power plays - Seattle 1-5, Spokane 1-6.Saves - Bonner, Sea, 15-9-6-30. Lemanowicz, Spo, 7-5-10-22.A - 5,730

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo