Chiefs catch fire with 4-goal third

Four unanswered goals in the third period Friday gave the Spokane Chiefs the lift they needed in a 7-3 Western Hockey League win over the Portland Winter Hawks in front of 4,991 fans at Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Michael Grabner scored a pair of goals in the period, his 11th and 12th of the year. Jeff Lynch added a power-play goal and Jevon Desautels scored one of his two tallies for the contest in the final period.

Lynch also had two assists.

The teams were a combined 2 for 11 on the power play.

With 52 points, Spokane (21-27-8-2) remains at fourth place in the Western Conference U.S. Division, and is four points in front of the Tri-City Americans.

Portland (26-24-4-4) jumped out to a 1-0 first-period lead, outshooting the Chiefs 17-4.

Spokane’s Derek Ryan tied the game with a goal 31 seconds in to the second period. After Brandon Dubinsky’s goal for Portland, Chad Klassen of the Chiefs tied the game when he netted his 25th goal of the year.

Midway through the period, Desautels gave Spokane the lead for good with his first goal of the game.

The game marked the third time this season the Chiefs have scored four unanswered goals in the final stanza, but the previous times were at home.

Desautels had his first multigoal game since the first week in December. Grabner recorded two goals for the first time this season.

KIJHL

Goals from Mike Sensman and Lief Sherman weren’t enough, as host Castlegar (British Columbia) defeated the Spokane Braves 3-2 to open a best-of-7 playoff series in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

Sherman scored the game-tying goal with 7 minutes left, but Carson Hamill recorded the winner with 3 minutes left.

Game two is tonight in Castlegar.