Short-Handed Chiefs Manage Tie With East Division Leader

Given the circumstances, a 1-1 tie with the Swift Current Broncos is an achievement.

With a patched-up defense led by Dan Vandermeer and their top scorer knocked out of action in the second period, the Spokane Chiefs salvaged an overtime tie with the Western Hockey League East Division leader Saturday in the Arena.

The Bronocs had won twice in their last three visits to Spokane, and were 20-0 this season when leading after two periods.

They led this one after two, 1-0.

But Spokane’s Ty Jones scored the tying goal early in the third period and appeared to ring up a go-ahead strike with 9:06 to go before 8,061.

Referee Lowell Dick, however, ruled that Jones kicked the puck into the net. A replay showed that it went off Jones’ stick and should have counted. The league does not authorize use of video replay.

“I can understand (the call) if you know for sure because you saw it,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “But I can’t understand dreaming these things up. Why dream it up? Either you saw it or you didn’t.” Swift Current coach and general manager Todd McLellan said, “I didn’t see the replay but if wasn’t kicked in it should have been a goal. The referee made a decision in a tight game in this (Spokane’s) building. Maybe you have to give him credit for that.”

Despite the comeback, when the should-haves and could-haves are thrown in, the single point in the standings the Chiefs take from the tie comes off as scant reward.

The game had more going for it than controversy. It featured great goaltending. McLellan called the 31-save effort by Terry Friesen the goalie’s best game in three seasons with Swift Current.

“He’s really carrying our hockey club right now,” McLellan said. “I thought they out-chanced us. We did have some scoring opportunities but not as many as they did. Perhaps the difference was that Friesen made some saves. (Chiefs goaltender Aren) Miller did, too, but he let the one in he’d probably like to have back.”

That was a 72-foot shot from outside the blue line in the second period that butterflied up and off his glove. It was a gift, a freak goal by 16-year-old Toni Bader - the first of his WHL career - that stood up for 18:04, until Jones got the equalizer early in the third period.

Chiefs captain Trent Whitfield played the puck to Jones in front of the net with the Chiefs on the power play. The puck sailed through Jones’ skates. Jones re-directed it inside the near post for his 17th goal.

The Chiefs managed the tie without their top three defensemen, Brad Ference, Perry Johnson and Zenith Komarniski. Ference and Komarniski are with Team Canada. Johnson sat out with a shoulder injury suffered in Wednesday night’s win over Red Deer. The shortage became even more acute late in the second period the Chiefs lost scoring leader Marian Cisar, who aggravated an injury to his left shoulder.

With the wounded and the excused out of the picture, Vandermeer, who last year was skating with the Tier II Surrey (B.C.) Eagles, stepped up. So did Kyle Rossiter, Ron Grimard and rookies Cole Fischer and Mark Forth.

The revamped D - with an assist from the tight-checking forwards - kept WHL scoring leader Sergei Varmalov off the scoresheet.

“We played intelligently, and with spunk and fire,” said Babcock, after his club dropped another point to Portland in the race for the division lead. Portland was a big winner at home over Tri-City. “We didn’t bury as many chances as we would have liked but overall it was real positive.”

Vandermeer assisted on the Chiefs goal that counted and was Babcock’s nominee for player of the game.

The Chiefs take on Seattle tonight at 6 in their last home date until after the Christmas break.

, DataTimes