Weary Rockets Trip Up Chiefs Gordon’s Late Score In Regulation Came With Help As Chiefs Tie 2-2

Sometimes in a hockey game what you don’t see is as important as what you do see.

The last 60 seconds of regulataion in Saturday night’s 2-2 overtime tie with the Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets, for example.

What 7,047 in the Arena saw was Kelowna’s Rob Gordon score the second of his two goals with 56 seconds left, ending the road-weary Rockets’ two-game losing streak.

What most didn’t see was Chiefs defenseman Adam Magarrell going down in the Spokane defensive zone - tripped from behind by Kelowna’s Vaclav Varada as the desperate Rockets went on the attack.

Without a key D-man - with a forward trying to do what Magarrell does deep in the zone - the Chiefs surrendered the tying goal inside the final minute.

“You always hate to give up a late goal,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said, “When you’re in the driver’s seat you hate to give it away but I don’t think you can get on our guys for effort. I think we ran their show lots.”

The Chiefs, who are in Seattle to meet the Thunderbirds tonight, out-shot the Rockets 45-29.

A 5-4 loser Friday night in Seattle, the Rockets arrived in Spokane at 5:30 after a long, snowy ride over Snoqualmie Pass.

A sluggish start was predictable.

The Chiefs out-shot Kelowna 15-4 in the first period and had the game firmly in hands after Dmitri Leonov’s persistence paid off in a 2-0 Spokane lead.

Leonov bounced a shot off goaltender Kim Dillabaugh, retrieved the rebound, skated around the net and beat the Rockets defense with his backhand at 12:26 of the second.

But Dillabaugh, who finished with 43 saves, slammed the door the rest of the way, turning back quality opportunity after quality opportunity as the Rockets went to 2-0-1 against Spokane.

“I thought we worked a lot harder tonight (than in Seattle) but Dillabaugh’s the big guy, no doubt,” Rockets coach Marcel Comeau said. “We only get two goals - you don’t get too many points for two goals - but he made that stand up for us. He was exceptional.”

Randy Favaro’s 10th of the season gave the Chiefs a 1-0 first-period lead.

After Dmitri Leonov’s persistence paid off with a power-play goal at 12:26 of the second period, Kelowna cut Spokane’s lead to 2-1 when Gordon, the WHL’s third-leading scorer, notched his 25th goal of the year skating on the power play.

Gordon’s strike was only the 16th power play the Chiefs have allowed in 16 games in their new building.

Although the Chiefs remain a point up on Kelowna in the WHL West Division and are unbeaten in their last six games they again failed to solve the riddle of Kelowna. Both teams are quick, both are deep in talent, although the Chiefs were hurting without defenseman Sean Gillam, who missed his second straight game with what is now described as a slight shoulder separation.

“They had quite a few quality chances but they seemed to have some situations, too, when the puck bounced a bit on them, went up on their stick and they didn’t get everything on it,” Comeau said. “Dillabaugh made some saves, certainly, but a couple times they seemed to be in cold and just couldn’t get the strong shot off. “

“I don’t feel we were lucky to get a point (in the standings) against them,” Babcock said. “Count the chances and it wasn’t very even at all. But in saying that we haven’t finished very well in here in the last six games.”

Bert Henderson, who had three goals and three assists in the two Rocket losses on this road trip, assisted on both Gordon goals.

Chiefs 2, Rockets 2

Kelowna 0 1 1 0 - 2

Spokane 1 1 0 0 - 2

First period-1, Spo, Favaro 10 (Hamilton, Cirjak), 9:21. Key penalties-Leonov, Spo, :32; Hamilton, Spo, 11:19; Kwiatkowski, Kel, 16:22; Leonov, Spo, 18:30.

Second period - 2, Spo, Leonov 15 (Whitfield, Sinclair), 12:26 (pp). 3, Kel, Gordon 25 (Henderson), 14:10 (pp). Key penalties - Favaro, Spo, 3:24; Wade, Kel, 6:43; Henderson, Kel, 11:56; Shockey, Spo, 13:58; Fletcher, Kel, 15:06; Boschman, Spo, 20:00.

Third period-4, Kel, Gordon 26 (Henderson, Varada), 19:06. Key penalties - Kwiatkowski, Kel, 6:45; Bertsch, Spo, 14:52.

Overtime - None. Key penalties - None.

Power-play opp. - Kelowna 1 of 7; Spokane 1 of 4.Saves - Kelowna, Dillabaugh 14-7-15-7-43. Spokane, Lemanowicz 4-9-12-2-27.A - 7,047.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo