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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Chiefs strike early and often to win

In hockey, the first strike is never a bad thing.

The Spokane Chiefs, noted for a quick attack, have outscored opponents 37-14 in the opening period this season and used the same tactic Wednesday night as they scored two first-period goals and rolled to a 6-0 Western Hockey League victory over the Chilliwack Bruins (13-10-3-0) in front of 5,414 Arena fans.

On this day of thanks, the Chiefs can be grateful for left-winger Drayson Bowman.

The Carolina Hurricanes third-round pick scored his second career hat trick – netting both Chiefs goals in the opening period – and added two assists in the second period for his first five-point night of the season.

Bowman has scored in the last 10 games and has 12 goals and nine assists in that span, bringing his season total to 39 points – tying him for second most in the league.

After a fiery first period, Spokane (18-3-1-2, 39 points) came out even tougher in the second, outshooting Chilliwack 20-4 and taking a 4-0 lead courtesy of Jared Cowen and Chris Bruton goals.

Cowen, the Chiefs’ rookie defenseman and first overall selection in the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft, scored his fourth goal of the season at 10 minutes, 34 seconds on Bowman and Mitch Wahl assists.

Six minutes later and drifting deep into the left corner, Bowman flicked the puck laterally to Bruton, who slapped in a shot out of the air for the Chiefs’ fourth goal at 16:42.

Bowman completed the hatty at 8:18 in the third period, skating into the slot and connecting on a brilliant set up from Wahl, and rookie Jace Coyle scored his first goal in the WHL with 15 seconds remaining in the game.

The stingy Chiefs’ defense limited the Bruins to 21 shots and kept Mark Santorelli – the league’s leading scorer – quiet in front of netminder Kevin Armstrong, who improved to 9-2-1-1 in recording his fifth career shutout.

The Chiefs, with the best record in the U.S. Division, Western Conference and league, travel to Kennewick this Saturday to meet the Tri-City Americans for the first time since dropping both sides of the home-and-home series – in overtime and a shootout – in early October.

After that, Spokane hits the road for its five-game Central Division swing before returning to the Arena ice on Dec. 8 to take on the Swift Current Broncos.

Notes

David Rutherford made his first appearance of the season on Arena ice, taking Spokane’s first penalty of the game on a roughing call late in the second period and leaving the ice for major fighting in the third. The Chiefs’ overage forward had been sidelined since Oct. 5 with a groin injury. … Mitch Wahl finished with four assists and is second for the Chiefs in scoring with 31 points. … With the victory, the Chiefs avenged a 5-3 loss to the Bruins in Chilliwack on Oct. 8. … The Chiefs killed the only Chilliwack power play, while converting one of five power plays.