Redemption sweet for Chiefs with 3-0 shutout of Silvertips

The Spokane Chiefs were swept out of last season’s Western Hockey League playoffs by the Everett Silvertips in March, the painful ending punctuated by an empty-net goal.

It was a series and a finish which Spokane Chiefs goalie Jim Watt vowed that the team would redeem by having a better season this winter.

On Wednesday night, Watt posted his second shutout of the season as he and his Chiefs teammates downed the Silvertips 3-0 at the Arena before 3,606.

Even more poetic, this time it was the Chiefs celebrating with an empty-net goal. Stephen Gillen’s breakaway with just 1 minute, 10 seconds remaining capped off Spokane’s second straight shutout and third game without a loss.

“It was personal, I’m not going to lie to you,” said Watt, who made 25 saves. “It was good to get the (shutout) monkey off my back.”

Spokane (7-10-1-1, 16 points) is still in fifth place of the U.S. Division but is 5-3-1-1 in division games.

The Chiefs got on the board in the first period with the type of fluke goal that had victimized them over their recent seven-game losing skid.

Defenseman Gary Gladue got his first goal of the season at the 15:03 mark, when he skated in from the left point to the left circle and put a wrist shot on net that hit the skate of Everett defenseman Ivan Baranka and deflected into the goal. Gladue had intended the pass for Kyle Howarth, who was camped just outside the crease, but will take it.

“I got a lucky bounce on my first goal, going off of someone’s skate, but now the bounces are going our way and we’re working for them,” said Gladue, a 20-year-old assistant captain on the team.

Spokane would add onto its lead in the second period.

The Chiefs staked themselves to a 2-0 lead at the 14:07 mark when rookie forward J.P. Szaszkiewicz got his first WHL goal when he was set up from behind the net by fellow rookie Chris Bruton. Szaszkiewicz one-timed a perfect pass high, glove side, past Everett goalie Mike Wall.

“I felt it coming for a while now. It felt nice to get it off my back and get it going now,” said Szaszkiewicz, named this week to Team Pacific for the upcoming unofficial world Under-17 tournament.

Spokane appeared to be skating with a great deal of confidence and much more energy than its last game, when the Chiefs were at the end of their busiest stretch of the season.

The Chiefs came into the game with a 4-2 record when scoring the first goal in the game and 4-1 when leading after two periods.

They were being out-shot going into the third but Watt already had 22 saves. He would face only three more shots the rest of the way. Spokane dominated Everett in the third period, out-shooting them 14-3 to finish with a 32-25 advantage.

Chiefs 3, Silvertips 0

First period – 1, Spo,Gladue 1 (Ryan, Klassen) 15:03.

Second period – 2, Spo, Szaszkiewicz 1 (Bruton, Stoesz) 14:07.

Third period – 3, Spo Gillen 3 (Desautels) 18:50 (en).

Power-play Opportunities–Everett 0 of 4; Spokane 0 of 4. Saves–Everett, Wall (L, 7-7-2) 9-7-13–29 saves. Spokane, Watt (W, 7-8-0-1) 11-11-3–25 saves. A–3,606.