Dan Weaver

At age 33, linesman Steve Murphy rarely feels like he can fly. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

Another night, another set of heroes. The story of numerical strength - December chapter - marched on Saturday night with Jay Bertsch, Randy Favaro and defenseman John Shockey doing the principal damage in the Spokane Chiefs' 5-1 breeze over Regina's pooped-out Pats. Bertsch had a pair of goals, his sixth and seventh of a season that for him is gathering steam. The first was the game-winner in front of 8,011 at the Arena, pushing the season attendance to a Western Hockey Leaguehigh 104,606. Favaro - playing with his usual body-slamming abandon - added a goal and an assist in Spokane's fourth straight win.

The Chiefs are happy with the play of goalie David Lemanowicz. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

The Spokane Chiefs did everything Saturday night at Tri-City but finish. Sunday night they took care of unfinished business, coming from a goal down in the Western Hockey League game to finish off the Portland Winter Hawks 6-1 at the Arena.

The Spokane Chiefs established a new adage in hockey Wednesday night. You can't keep a bad team down. Right wing Jeff Dewar's goal at 8:04 of the third period carried the Moose Jaw Warriors - the last-place club in the Western Hockey League East - to a 4-3 comeback win in the Arena. The Chiefs disappointed a crowd of 6,375, the largest Wednesday night gathering in Spokane's 13-year association with major junior hockey, by blowing 2-0 and 3-2 leads.

The honeymoon with their palatial surroundings may be over. The Spokane Chiefs - tired, sore and struggling - were beaten 6-4 by the Tri-City Americans, who came to town Saturday night all business after leaving their ace at home. Playing without star center Daymond Langkow, suspended for missing a Saturday morning team meeting, the aroused Americans erased a 2-1 Spokane lead with a rash of power-play goals that ran the Chiefs out of the Arena in the Western Hockey League game.

Tyler Love's work in goal helps the Prince George Cougars extract a 4-4 tie with the Spokane Chiefs in the Arena on Saturday night. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

1. Dmitri Leonov is taking his shot at keeping a Western lifestyle he doesn't take for granted. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Leonov

When the Spokane Chiefs rallied to win three of five games on their annual swing through the Canadian prairies last week, they remained in the thick of the fight for the Western Hockey League West Division lead. In the process, a second goalkeeper stepped up, giving coach Mike Babcock the luxury of choice. There's David Lemanowicz with the glitzy 11-3 won-lost record.

The smallest player on the ice controlled a game of strength against strength Saturday night. Generously listed in your game program at 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, Spokane left wing Greg Leeb registered his first Western Hockey League hat trick in the Chiefs' 5-1 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings before a sellout crowd of 10,452 at the Arena. Scoring at 1:23 and 5:06 of the opening period, Leeb quickly put an end to a brief two-game skid and sent the Chiefs on a five-game, seven-day tour of the WHL East with a little momentum and lots of confidence.

Sandrock

1. Perched atop his horse, Bob, Stephens oversees early morning workouts. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Stephens

Finally free from pain, Jay Bertsch (29) has become a real headache for opponents. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Trent Whitfield (14), congratulated for goal by Jon Shockey (34), acknowledges Jason Podollan's assist. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Portland's Judd Casper (14) and Spokane's Derek Schultz (25) face off at the Arena Wednesday night. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

1. Hall of Fame inductees include, from left, Hank Coplen, Tom Lefebvre, Launi Meili, Bob Curtis, Ray Washburn, Gene Smith, Elmer Jordan, and Gus Bouten, who is represented by his son, Frank. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review 2. From left, Washburn, Coplen, Lefebvre and Meili were among those inducted into the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

The Kamloops Blazers usually aren't in the market for tips. They can afford to keep their own counsel. They've ruled junior hockey in North America for the last two years. But the Blazers might consider petitioning the Western Hockey League for another Thanksgiving Day opponent. They've seen enough of the Spokane Chiefs.

Surgery should be this smooth. The Spokane Chiefs remained perfect at home Friday night at the Arena, beating the Portland Winter Hawks 5-3 before 6,223 fans. Unlike the Chiefs' two previous wins in their new building - both penalty-marred games won with fists and grim determination - this came with precision and some flash.

Kris Graf, left, of the Chiefs tags Seattle Thunderbirds Lloyd Shaw in fight-filled first period at the Arena. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Statistics fall below lies and damn lies in the credibility chain, but it's hard to ignore two numbers the Spokane Chiefs put up on the road. The Western Hockey League team held the Tri-City Americans to 21 shots Saturday in a 6-4 win, then limited the Kelowna Rockets to 25 shots in a 6-5 loss Wednesday night. Although coach Mike Babcock was unhappy with the Chiefs' effort at Kelowna - and he's not too crazy about some of the offensive numbers - he's not complaining about the way his aggressive club is denying the opposition scoring chances.

The Spokane Chiefs threw a blanket over the Tri-City Americans for two periods Saturday night, but before they came away with a 6-4 win, their heated rivalry turned typical. All hell broke loose in the third period.

Their strength is in numbers. The Spokane Chiefs won't have last year's scoring leader Jason Podollan when they open the season Saturday night in Kennewick against the Tri-City Americans, but they probably won't have any trouble carrying and firing the puck. With Podollan away with the NHL Florida Panthers the shots will go to a committee of 15 forwards on the 27-player roster.

1. The Spokane Chiefs are regarded as strong WHL contenders this season, thanks in part to a veteran front line featuring Randy Favaro. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review 2. Spokane's Greg Leeb, left, is one of several proven scorers for the Chiefs. File/The Spokesman-Review

The super facility will open with a superstar. The other Bure is in town. Pavel Bure, star right wing of the Vancouver Canucks, will play in tonight's inaugural event in Spokane Arena.