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Spokane Chiefs At Kamloops

Time: Tonight at 7:30, Riverside Coliseum.

Records: Spokane (17-9-1), Kamloops Blazers (19-6-1).

Radio: KGA-AM (1510) 6:30, Hockey Tonight with Craig West.

Key players: Spokane: D Sean Gillam (5 goals, 21 assists), C Trent Whitfield (14, 26), C/RW Jason Podollan (16, 8), C Darren Sinclair (12, 16), LW Dmitri Leonov (14, 18), D Hugh Hamilton (4, 23), RW John Cirjak (11, 11), LW Greg Leeb (18, 10), GK David Lemanowicz (3.30 goals-against), RW Randy Favaro (8, 17), RW Jay Bertsch (5, 7).

Kamloops: LW Hnat Domenichelli (30 goals, 47 assists), RW Jarome Iginla (29, 28), D Nolan Baumgartner (5, 4), C Bob Maudie (21, 26), D Aaron Keller (9, 30), D Jason Holland (8, 11) D Brad Lukowich (2, 22), GK Randy Petruk (3.07 goals-against).

At a glance: Chiefs are in Title Town tonight to play the defending champion and division-leading Blazers, then hop the bus back home for a Saturday nighter here with Regina. Mike Babcock is an impressive 5-3-2 in games against Kamloops over two seasons. To maintain that success the Chiefs coach needs strong efforts at both ends from all hands - the old cliche 20 (players) for 60 (minutes) applies. D-men Hamilton, Adam Magarrell, John Shockey and Gillam - who left Wednesday night’s game with an ankle injury only to return later - will have their hands full with Domenichelli-Maudie-Iginla. Return of Baumgartner from NHL Washington was the last piece of the consistency puzzle in Kamloops. After a slow start the Blazers are leading a tough division where only four points separate No. 1 from No. 4. The jockeying among contenders for home-ice advantage in the playoffs makes this a little more important than the typical Dec. 1 WHL encounter. Lapses on the power play concern Babcock, although Whitfield’s return to form the last two games is a sign that special teams will come around. After scoring two or more points in eight of Spokane’s first 10 games, Whitfield went seven straight without a multiple-point effort. He’s had two in a row, encouraging to a team that is coming out of a brief tailspin.

, DataTimes