Chiefs lose season finale

CRANBROOK, British Columbia – The Spokane Chiefs went out with a thud and ended their 2005-06 Western Hockey League season right where they did in 2004-05 with 58 points and a last-place finish.

The Chiefs fell to the Cranbrook Ice 8-2 on Saturday night in their season finale, giving up a season-high 52 shots and allowing Adam Cracknell’s club-record, seven-point night. The Kootenay captain had a hat trick and four assists as the Ice broke open a 2-all game after one period.

Spokane (25-39-5-3) saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. Spokane managed just 20 shots on goal, four in the final period in which Kootenay reeled off four goals against goalie Thomas Stehr.

Stehr was lifted after the sixth goal as Kevin Armstrong relieved him down the stretch.

The Chiefs got both of their goals in the first period from Judd Blackwater and Drayson Bowman.

Spokane committed 15 penalties for a total of 54 penalty minutes and nine penalty kills while going 1 of 5 on the power play.

Ice 8, Chiefs 2

First Period— 1, Ktn, Cracknell 40 (Maxwell) 1:15; 2, Spo, Blackwater 7 (Hobson, Grabner) 3:00; 3, Ktn, Lee 20 (Cracknell, Mahovsky) 11:44 (pp); 4, Spo, Bowman 17 (Ryan, Zimmerman) 19:01 (pp). Second Period—5, Ktn Sylvester 2 (Cracknell, Flatt) 4:19; 6, Ktn Cracknell 41 (Lee, Greenan) 15:46. Third Period—7, Ktn Maxwell 27 (Lee, Cracknell) 4:15; 8, Ktn Maxwell 28 (Cracknell) 7:17; 9, Ktn Cracknell 42 (Flatt, Greenan) 14:25; 10, Ktn Bailey 10 (Sylvester, Maxwell) 19:36 (pp).

Power-play Opp.—Spokane 1 of 5; Kootenay 2 of 9. Saves—Spokane, Stehr 44 saves. Kootenay, Lazaruk 14 saves. A—4,653.