Wahl gives Chiefs a lift

The Spokane Chiefs showed they have some spunk left as the playoffs approach.

Rookie center Mitch Wahl led the way, pleasing the fans with his scoring, then delighting his teammates with his “fighting.”

Wahl had two goals, including the game-winner and an empty-netter, as the Chiefs downed the Tri-City Americans 5-2 in Western Hockey League play on Friday night at the Arena in front of a crowd of 10,115.

Wahl, a 6-foot, 175-pounder from Seal Beach, Calif., is a leading contender for the team’s Rookie of the Year award that will be handed out before tonight’s game. The former first-round Bantam Draft pick has steadily improved this year.

“I’d have to say this is my best (game),” said Wahl. “Two goals, an assist, and a fight – it was definitely the most exciting.”

Wahl has been practicing his pugilistic skills after some recent practices. Has he now joined the ranks of brawlers such as teammate Evan Haw?

“I wouldn’t go that far – I’m not the heavyweight yet, never will be,” Wahl admitted.

His “win” was more like a spirited wrestling takedown, but his effort was emblematic of what the shorthanded Chiefs needed. They have several players out with injuries and were missing captain Adam Hobson and forward Judd Blackwater with the flu.

Spokane has just four games left and had lost its previous two and six of its previous 10.

The fourth-place Chiefs (77 points) were eliminated from the race for second place in the U.S. Division, but are just five points behind third-place Seattle.

“We can’t have the outlook of just going into fourth place,” said assistant captain Chris Bruton, who had a goal and an assist. “There’s still a run we can make here heading into the playoffs and can even catch Seattle. …

“Definitely we need to put some games together and get some momentum heading into the playoffs.”

The Chiefs rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit, getting one goal in the first, and tying it in the second before icing it with three third-period goals.

Wahl’s winner came at the 4:02 mark. David Rutherford added insurance at 13:28, then came Wahl’s empty-netter at 18:36.

“The thing I like about tonight was that we got better all the time,” said Chiefs coach Bill Peters. “I didn’t think we were very good in the beginning of the game … but our guys got better and more responsible as the game went on and we played a more mature game and we were rewarded for that.”

The Americans took a 2-1 lead after one period, scoring both their goals in the first 11 minutes in seven shots on Chiefs goalie Kevin Armstrong.

Tri-City opened the scoring at the 5:20 mark when defenseman T.J. Fast scored 5-hole on Armstrong while falling to the ice.

The Americans doubled their lead at the 10:43 mark, also on a goal where the player scored while falling down. Tanner Gilles put in a rebound past Armstrong that kicked out just near the right post.

Spokane would get on the board before the end of the period and Armstrong settled down to end a three-game losing streak in which he had struggled.

Defenseman Sean Zimmerman scored just his second goal of the season converting on the power play at the 11:48 mark. He one-timed a perfect feed in the right slot from Michael Grabner.

The game stayed that way through the end of the period, and Spokane started the second trying to kill off the remainder of a 5-minute kneeing major assessed against Curtis Kelner.

Kelner also received a game misconduct for his knee-on-knee hit on Shaun Vey, who returned for the third period. Spokane killed of the penalty, in part thanks to Tri-City taking a penalty of its own.

The Chiefs evened the game in the second by outshooting their opponents 14-7.

The game-tying goal came at 8:47 of the second when Bruton was left alone at the far post and J.P. Szaszkiewicz, through the crease from the slot, put a perfect pass on Bruton’s stick.

Wahl’s game-winner came on a 2-on-1. He took a feed from Drayson Bowman at full speed and beat Ams goalie Carey Price high to the stick side.

Rutherford’s goal came when he got behind the Tri-City defense, took a pass from Bruton, then deked Price after taking him from post to post. Then came Wahl’s empty-net capper.

The game also marked the return of Chiefs forward David Linsley from a shoulder injury. However, he left the game after a hit at the 4-minute mark of the second period and didn’t return.

Chiefs 5, Ams 2

First Period—1, TC, Fast 3 5:20; 2, TC, Gillies 5 (Valach, Fast) 10:43; 3, Spo, Zimmerman 2 (Grabner, Wahl) 11:48 (pp). Second Period—4, Spo, Bruton 9 (Szaszkiewicz, Lenoski) 8:47. Third Period—5, Spo, Wahl 14 (Bowman, Grabner) 4:02; 6, Spo, Rutherford 28 (Bruton, Szaszkiewicz) 13:28; 7, Spo, Wahl 15 (Rutherford) 18:36 (en).

Power-play Opp.—Tri-City 0 of 3; Spokane 1 of 8. Saves—Tri-City, Price 28. Spokane, Armstrong 26. A—10,115.