Chiefs finish long road trip with 5-2 loss at Swift Current

SWIFT CURRENT, Saskatchewan – The long trip home may seem a little longer to the Spokane Chiefs.

Cavin Leth scored his fourth and fifth goals of the Western Hockey League season on Saturday night to guide the Swift Current Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Chiefs at Credit Union iPlex.

Spokane completed its biennial trip to the East Division with a 3-3 record. The Chiefs were 5-1 when they made the East tour during the 2012-13 season.

Spokane had defeated the Broncos four consecutive times, last losing to Swift Current at the Spokane Arena during the 2009-10 season.

Swift Current (27-24-1-4), which won for the fourth times in five games, hurt the Chiefs early during the first two periods. Leth scored 55 seconds into the game, on the first shot of the contest, and Jordan Thomson scored 25 seconds into the second period for a 2-1 Broncos lead.

Swift Current stretched the margin to 3-1 at 7:05 of the second when Tyler Steenbergen took advantage of a Chiefs defensive letdown to notch his fifth goal.

Riley Whittingham’s 11th goal of the season, with 15 seconds left on a power play, allowed the Chiefs to cut the deficit to 3-2 midway through the second.

After Spokane twice hit the post, Leth gathered up a rebound and scored an unassisted goal with 6:29 left to give the Broncos some cushion. Jake DeBrusk added his team-high 34th goal on an empty-netter in the final minute.

Spokane’s Adam Helewka scored his club-best 30th goal in the first period.

Spokane lost for the 11th time in 15 games to fall to 27-25-3-1.

The Chiefs play their next three games at home, starting Friday against the Calgary Hitmen, who just had a nine-game winning streak snapped.