Dan Weaver

Bryan McCabe, left, has been invaluable to the Chiefs this past month. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

Two weeks can be an eternity in junior hockey. Witness the sudden reversals of the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans. In two weeks, their fortunes have turned in opposite directions.

David Lemanowicz doesn't have a lot to do, not with Spokane Chiefs' starting goaltender, Jarrod Daniel, on top of his game night after night. So what does Lemanowicz do to keep his mind in the game? He charts faceoffs.

Spokane native Chad Little is gunning for victory lane. File/The Spokesman-Review

Suddenly the Spokane Chiefs own the third period and, just as suddenly, they're on a four-game roll. Darren Sinclair rammed home a penalty shot early in the third period to tie the Tri-City Americans at 2, igniting a Chiefs rally that brought about a rare comeback win before the largest Coliseum crowd of the year, 5,352. The Americans (20-20-3) led 2-0 on goals by Daymond Langkow and Cadrin Smart, but Kevin Sawyer, Sinclair, Jared Hope and Bryan McCabe answered for the Chiefs, who won for only the second time when they trail after two periods.

They made some of the same aggravating mistakes they've made all year, but there are reasons why the Spokane Chiefs vacated last place in the Western Hockey League West on Wednesday night. They're playing hard enough and well enough to overcome the errors of their ways. Randy Favaro and Jason Podollan scored the goals and netminder Jarrod Daniel made them stand up in Spokane's 2-1 win over the talent-gutted Portland Winter Hawks.

Derek Descoteau knew his right shoulder was fragile. Just how fragile was hammered home during Christmas break. The Spokane Chiefs forward, who'll undergo surgery Thursday, is out for the season. Home for Christmas, the 19-year-old Descoteau reached over to open his car door and pulled the troublesome shoulder out again. "I had to put it back in myself that time," he said from his Medicine Hat, Alberta, home. "That was a little painful."

The Spokane Chiefs got a rare victory and a glimpse of their future Sunday night in the Coliseum. Joe Cardarelli tied the Western Hockey League game and Trent Whitfield hammered home the game-winner to rally the Chiefs past the road-weary Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-4.

McCabe

The Spokane Chiefs scored four goals and circled the wagons Wednesday night but a twogoal lead and third-period caution were no match for Tri-City's Daymond Langkow. The Western Hockey League's leading scorer, Langkow again dominated late as the Tri-City Americans shaded the Spokane Chiefs 5-4 in overtime. Langkow scored the tying goal in the third period and assisted on two others as the Americans wiped out a 4-2 Spokane lead and won for the 20th time, topping their victory total of all last season.