Chiefs Top Portland, Escape Cellar
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.
With their second straight win - their first winning streak since Oct. 26 - the Chiefs vaulted into sixth place, a win up on Prince George and only a win behind fifth-place Portland.
The Chiefs are in Kennewick Friday night to take on Tri-City, and back home Saturday night for a rematch with the Americans.
Portland lost star forward Adam Deadmarsh to the National Hockey League a matter of hours before the game. Deadmarsh was in Trail, British Columbia, awaiting a flight to Quebec to rejoin his NHL club while his junior team was losing its sixth straight before 3,263 at the Coliseum.
“Deadmarsh is a pro,” Spokane coach Mike Babcock said, “and he’s not just going to be an average pro. He makes people pay. He puts fear into people. He’s a complete player. What does taking away your best player who can score do to you?”
It leaves too much up to Layne Roland, the last of the Hawks’ veteran snipers, and some impressive but inexperienced youngsters.
But even without Deadmarsh the Hawks took Spokane to the last second with a clean, end-to-end challenge that tested two veteran goalkeepers.
Teammates in Portland a year ago, Daniel and Portland’s Scott Langkow traded rejection after rejection between the pipes.
The blemish on the Chiefs’ 13th win was another bonehead penalty that cost Daniel his first shutout in Spokane.
Leading 1-0, the Chiefs put too many men on the ice early in the third period - a familiar offense for them - while changing lines.
They paid for it with a 2-minute bench minor that put Portland on a power play. Kevin Haupt, 16-year-old defenseman, beat the Chiefs with a shot from the top of the right circle.
The power-play goal wiped out a third-period lead and left Babcock shaking his head.
“Referees hate to make that call,” he said. “They let you jump on the ice as long as you don’t touch the puck ‘til the other guy gets off. Jared Hope and Dimitri Leonov made the mistake two games in a row - one guy jumped on and played the puck before the other guy could get off the ice.
Spokane’s Randy Favaro scored first with a slap shot from the right circle after Leonov and Hope dug the puck out of the corner.
Podollan produced the gamewinner with 7:09 left.
Greg Leeb launched the initial shot on Langkow. Rushing for the rebound, Podollan notched his teamleading 24th goal with an unconventional shot.
“I hit it ahead with my glove, it went off my chest and in,” Podollan said. “It wasn’t the prettiest goal I’ve ever scored but it won the game so that’s good enough.”
Daniel took it from there, twice turning back Portland’s Richard Zednik with key saves.
Although the Chiefs enjoyed a 35-29 advantage in shots, the Hawks fired 13 at Daniel in the third period while the Chiefs were putting only 10 on Langkow.
“With 5 minutes left I don’t think you want to give them as many opportunities as we did,” Babcock said. “We showed signs of a team that has lost. Give Mr. Zednik credit for them. He won a lot of one-on-one battles against good people.”
Chiefs 2, Hawks 1
Portland 0 0 1 - 1
Spokane 0 1 1 - 2
First period - No scoring. Key penalties - Pratt, Por, 2:20; Hamilton, Spo, 15:47.
Second period - 1, Spo, Favaro 2 (Hope, Leonov) 8:28. Key penalties - Robinson, Por, 5:48; Guy, 10:41; Hamilton, Spo, 18:05.
Third period - 2, Port, Haupt 4 (Zednik, Roland) 2:07 (power play); 3, Spo, Podollan 24 (Leeb, Hamilton) 12:51. Key penalties - Spo, bench minor (too many men on the ice, served by Leonov) 1:46; Gillam, Spo, 13:24;
Saves - Langkow, Por, 10-14-9-33
Daniel, Spo 7—8-12- 27
A - 3,263