Chiefs power past Everett
There’s the simple solution for when a hockey team struggles killing penalties: Don’t take penalties.
The first-place Spokane Chiefs followed that advice to the letter Saturday night, handing division-rival Everett a 3-2 Western Hockey League loss at the Spokane Arena.
Playing a crisp, hard-checking game in front of the league’s top goaltender, Dustin Tokarski, Spokane denied the Silvertips in the first meeting between the teams since the 2006-2007 playoffs by giving Everett just three power-play opportunities.
Spokane also benefited from the return of defenseman Jared Spurgeon, who left midway through the first period of Friday night’s loss to Kamloops and did not return.
“I made a play on the puck and I knew a guy was coming up to hit me, but I hit my head on the dasher,” the defenseman said. “They thought I had a concussion, but I didn’t. I had a bad headache last night and most of the day today. But this was a big game and I wanted to play and help my teammates if I possibly could.”
Spurgeon worked himself slowly into the rotation on defense, and by the second period, equipped with a dose of game-time adrenaline, he was taking his regular turn.
“We weren’t sure if he was going to be able to play,” coach Bill Peters said. “We dressed a seventh defenseman just in case he couldn’t go because we had the suspension (of winger Curtis Kelner) from Friday night.”
In addition to the stabilized defense, the team’s second line of Tyler Johnson, Levko Koper and Chris Langkow turned a steady performance that kept the team settled, picking up the winning goal by working the puck across the crease in front of Irving. Koper reached back to tap a pass from Kangkow into an open patch of Everett net at the 8:57 mark in the second period.
Tokarski, meanwhile, turned in 25 saves to earn the victory. The only WHL goaltender with a goals-against average of less than two per game, Tokarski surrendered his second goal after his defense misfired, which cleared the puck on an Everett rush. Winger Shane Harper fired home a shot from the top of the slot to cut the Spokane advantage to 3-2.
In the final minute, the Silvertips pulled Irving, skating the final 40 seconds of the game with a man advantage, but the Chiefs were up to the challenge, not allowing a clear shot at Tokarski.
“We have a lot of guys in the locker room right now icing down because they gave themselves up to make plays tonight,” Spurgeon said. “Whatever we have to do to help this team win, we’re determined to do.”
The team’s youngest player, 16-year-old defenseman Jared Cowen, made the plays of the game in front of the Spokane net in the third period. Despite losing his stick, Cowen blocked one Everett shot with a shin pads, then cleared the puck out of the zone with a gloved hand to blunt an attack.
“We’re still not where we were,” Peters said. “As a staff, we could see these two games coming. We did not practice well Wednesday and Thursday last week. That was the first time we’ve had two bad practices back to back like that.
“Fortunately, this homestand gives us the chance to get in some quality practice time. We’ll take the day off on Sunday and, since Monday is a school holiday, we’ll get the team on the ice early and have a quality practice session before our game Tuesday with Prince George.”
Spokane wasted little time taking charge Saturday.
Chris Bruton carried the puck out of his own end and deep into the Everett’s before leaving a drop pass for Drayson Bowman, who one-timed it home 45 seconds into the game.
Mitch Wahl added a second goal at the 15:14 mark, tipping Stefan Ulmer’s shot from the point, redirecting it under goaltender Leland Irving’s glove to give Spokane a 2-0 margin after one period.