Chiefs Hold On, Win 8-6 Sinclair, Leonov Each Score Two In Win Over First-Place Brandon

Darren Sinclair’s second goal of the game, a power-play connection with less than 5 minutes remaining, secured Spokane’s 8-6 Western Hockey League victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday night after the Chiefs squandered most of a four-goal lead.

Third-place Spokane moved to 12-6 in the WHL West Division. Brandon (14-6-1) leads the East and had not lost a game at home this season.

It was the third game of a five-game Eastern road trip and the first of three in a row for the Chiefs, who rebounded after a tough loss at Saskatoon on Wednesday night.

Greg Leeb remained a catalyst for Spokane, giving the Chiefs a 2-0 lead with a backhander in the slot 5:35 into the match. Leeb has seven goals in Spokane’s last four games.

The Chiefs appeared on their way to an easy victory, leading 7-3 after two periods. Against Brandon goalkeeper Brian Elder, Spokane connected on four of its first six shots and seven of its first 14.

But the Wheat Kings struck back, pulling within 7-6 with three goals, including two from Kelly Smart, to start the third period.

Chiefs netminder Aren Miller, starting in place of the struggling David Lemanowicz, stopped 42 of 48 Brandon shots in just his second start of season.

Dmitri Leonov matched Sinclair with two goals for Spokane, opening the scoring on a power play just 3:59 into the contest. Fifty seconds after Leeb made it 2-0 at 5:35, Leonov stretched Spokane’s lead to three.