Third-Period Rally Produces Another Victory By Chiefs

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.

The Chiefs (15-28-1) leave this morning on a six-game road swing with their longest win streak since late October.

“It was a good game that nobody dominated until the third period, when we did some good things,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “We had been finding ways to lose to them (Tri-City leads the series 7-4). There was some serious extra effort tonight, finding ways to win.”

Sinclair’s penalty shot beat TriiCity goaltender Brian Boucher between the pads at 1:35 of the third.

The one-on-one duel with the goaltender brought the standing-room-only crowd to full boil.

“When you’ve got 5,200 people looking and screaming at you and you’re waiting for the ref to blow the whistle to start the play, you’re very nervous all the way down the ice,” Sinclair said. “You have to fight through that. It just happens that I squeaked it through the five hole.

“I went to the right and he (Boucher) opened enough for me to get it through (the goalie’s pads).”

Dragged down from behind on his way to the net by Tri-City’s Geoff Lynch, Sinclair said, “I thought it was just going to be a (minor) penalty, then I heard the cheering and thought, ‘Oh no, penalty shot.”’

Instant pressure.

But the Chiefs continued to rewrite their season-long history of blowing third-period opportunities. They outshot the Americans 14-6 while protecting a one-goal lead through most of the final period.

When Randy Favaro was sent off for elbowing at 6:55 of the third, sliding blocks by Spokane’s Jeremy Stasiuk, Sinclair, John Cirjak and Sean Gillam turned back the Tri-City power play.

With the Americans up by two and threatening to break it open, Sawyer broke free in the slot to take a Stasiuk feed for the shot that got the Chiefs on the board at 14:47 of the second period.

“Sawyer was a huge factor,” Babcock said of his assistant captain who has been slowed by pulled groins. “He got his stride this week in practice. When his feet are going everybody knows he’s out there and he’s coming.”

The game-winner came off the stick of the 16-year-old rookie Hope, who deflected Jay Bertsch’s shot from the right circle past Tri-City’s Boucher with 6:30 remaining.

Chiefs 4, Americans 2

Tri-City 1 1 0 - 2 Spokane 0 1 3 - 4

First period - 1, Tri-City, Langkow 41 (Cabana, Ascroft) 5:25 (pp). Key penalties - McCabe (Spo) 5:00; Hamilton (Spo) 6:59; Gillam (Spo) 9:58; Sawyer (Spo) misconduct 9:58; Thompson (TC) 12:38; Marsh (TC), Smart (TC) 14:39; Olson (TC) 16:54.

Second period - 2, Tri-City, Smart 7 (Olson, Thompson) 3:18. 3, Spokane, Sawyer 4 (Stasiuk) 14:47. Key penalties - Stasiuk (Spo) :43; Komarniski (TC) 9:01; McCabe (Spo) 10:16; Souray (TC) 15:52.

Third period - 4, Spokane, Sinclair 7 (penalty shot) 1:35 (sh). 5, Spokane, Hope 5 (Bertsch, Leonov) 13:30. 6, Spokane, McCabe 4 (Stasiuk, Leeb) 19:57 (en). Key penalties - Podollan (Spo) 1:16; Lynch (TC) fouling from behind 1:35; Favaro (Spo) 6:55.

Saves - Tri-City, Boucher 8-9-12-29. Spokane, Daniel 11-8-6-25.

A - 5,352.