Chiefs Approach ‘Em Two Points At A Time
Tonight’s Portland-Spokane date in the Arena shapes up as the most interesting, if not the most important, game thus far in the Western Hockey League season.
You can make a case for that. Mike Babcock says he can’t.
The Chiefs coach Thursday shrugged off the importance of the second-place Winter Hawks taking on his division-leading Chiefs with only six games remaining before the holiday break.
Spokane can move four points - two games - up on Portland with a win.
The Chiefs return to the Arena Saturday night to meet the Tri-City Americans in what most likely will be the first December sellout in the club’s history.
“The biggest game of the year so far (tonight)?” Babcock said. “No. The game on Saturday night is worth two points, too.”
Babcock did indulge in a measure of satisfaction Wednesday night after the Chiefs’ 5-4 win over Kelowna.
“It was an ugly game in lots of ways but it’s a big win when you don’t have Whitfield and Cisar in your lineup,” he said, referring to injured top guns Marian Cisar and Trent Whitfield, who practiced Thursday and could play tonight. “Take (Jason) Deleurme and (Brett) McLean off their team (Kelowna) and see how tough it is.
“What I liked about the Kelowna game is that (Jared ) Smyth and (Kris) Graf stepped up with (Derek) Schutz to play on our second line. They were able to shut down Kelowna’s big line (Deleurme, McLean and Kevin Marsh) and give us a chance to win.”
Portland coach Brent Peterson has been named to coach the West team in the Jan. 21 all-star game in Regina. A flap erupted last week when Peterson told the Oregonian newspaper of Portland that he’d rather have the time off, referring to the site of the game as “some jerkwater town.”
Peterson said he had knee surgery planned for that week.
WHL vice presidnet Rick Doerksen said after conferring with Peterson on Thursday that the Winter Hawks coach was “in the process of seeing whether that (the surgery date) could be changed.”
, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: On the ice Tonight: Portland Winter Hawks at Spokane Chiefs, Arena, 7 p.m.