Revenge Proves Sweet Spokane Blanks Brandon On Ex-Wheat King’s Goal

Call it Magarrell’s revenge.

It’s been 450 days since the Brandon Wheat Kings dealt Adam Magarrell to the Spokane Chiefs. In that time, the 6-foot-4 defenseman from nearby Domain, Manitoba, has built a reputation as a defenseman’s defenseman.

Sunday afternoon, Magarrell turned offensive. His shot from the blue line with 6:09 to play in the third period was the difference as the Chiefs beat the Wheat Kings 1-0 in Game 2 of the Western Hockey League championship finals.

The series is tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 here tonight at 5:30.

Magarrell’s goal - his first in 39 career playoff games and only his third of the year - was a stark reminder to 5,140 fans in the Keystone Centre that he once was one of their own.

The game turned on a mistake. Brandon rookie Burke Henry turned the puck over along the wall at the blue line, where the 20-year-old Magarrell knocked it down, loaded and fired.

“I just put my head down and shot towards the net, and it went in for me,” said Magarrell. “I looked up and everybody was cheering.”

Everybody, meaning his friends and family, about 25 strong.

“It felt great, especially doing it against Brandon,” Magarrell said. “It was more of our type of game today - more defensive, not many chances for either team. We got a break and came out on top. You can’t get down 2-0 to the Wheat Kings. They’re too good a team.”

Magarrell, who grew up cheering for the Wheaties, beat them in a game of high defensive intensity and great goaltending.

David Lemanowicz stopped 31 shots to give the Wheat Kings their first shutout defeat of the season. Brandon netminder Jody Lehman, who rejected 32 shots, was left with a bitter loss.

“I misjudged it,” Lehman said, of Magarrell’s gamewinner. “A few sticks got in the way. It was a bad play on my behalf. A few bodies went through (his line of sight), but it was just a bad goal.”

The shot sailed over Lehman’s blocker from 60 feet out.

“Spokane was all over us,” Lehman said, “putting the pressure on us. I misjudged it. I give Lemanowicz credit. He made the stops he had to.”

“Defense starts in the offensive zone,” Lemanowicz said. “I made one or two quality saves. Everything else was from the perimeter. I could see everything. My defensemen did a great job of boxing people out, allowing me to see the puck. And our forwards, they were always back. I think I only faced one second shot (off a rebound) all night. They even did a great job of boxing out after I covered up the puck.”

Lemanowicz, goaltender of the year in the WHL, said Jason Podollan played a strong game, even though he had a rare night off the scoreboard.

“Jason was great defensively, especially a couple of times down low, behind my net,” the goaltender said. “He was strong on the puck, not allowing their forwards to get control and pass it out in front of the net.”

It was Brandon’s first home-ice loss since Feb. 16. The Wheaties had won 16 in a row here.

“I didn’t even think about a shutout until I looked up and there were 28 seconds left,” Lemanowicz said. “I thought, ‘Holy Cow, we can win this game 1-0.’ “

Lemanowicz empathized with Lehman.

“I guarantee you, he didn’t see it,” Lemanowicz said. “He hardly reacted.”

So, after splitting the first two games, Mike Babcock will have to work on his birthday. The Chiefs coach turns 33 today.

“Now that the series is down to a best-of-five, it’s even more exciting,” he said. “The finish wasn’t there by either team. We were fortunate (late in the second period) on a one-timer by (Brandon’s Justin) Kurtz. I thought he had the bottom corner and just missed the net. Other than that, both teams - even though we had some chances - didn’t get the chances they’re used to seeing.”

Neither team could cash in on the power play. The Wheat Kings went scoreless in five power-play opportunities. Spokane was 0 for 6.

Magarrell’s goal is the product of constant prodding.

“We call him the cannonader,” Babcock said. “The guy has a cannon (for a shot) in practice and won’t shoot the puck in the game. It was nice to see him put one in the back of the net pretty quick.”

The shot was more of a snapper than a slap shot.

Magarrell’s shot came moments after Babcock had watched a shot from the point late into a Chiefs power play connect with a Spokane player.

“I was upset that our other point man had just had the puck and hit our own guy in the back,” Babcock said. “I couldn’t figure how that happened. I leaned forward and told one of the guys, ‘We’re handling that like a grenade.’ “

Then came the explosion.

Reaction was different in the other camp.

When Brandon left wing Mike Leclerc picked up a roughing minor at 14:30 of the third period, Wheat Kings general manager Kelly McCrimmon tossed his chair off a back table in the press box.

“It wasn’t a very good hockey game,” said Brandon coach Bob Lowes, “but maybe if we’d won 1-0, we’d be excited, too.”

Chiefs 1, Wheat Kings 0

Spokane 0 0 1 - 1 Brandon 0 0 0 - 0

First period - None. Key penalties - Hrdina, Spo, 12:42; Cherneski, Bran, 15:10.

Second period - None. Key penalties - Boschman, Spo, :50; Kurtz, Bran, 16:26; Graf, Spo, 9:14; Leclerc, Bran, 14:48; Gillam, Spo, 17:25.

Third period - 1, Spokane, Magarrell 1, 6:09. Key penalties - Redden, Bran, 3:23; Kurtz, Bran, 7:13; Lecerc, Bran, 14:20; Gillam, Spo, 15:29.

Power-play opp. - Spokane 0 of 6; Brandon 0 of 5.Saves - Spokane, Lemanowicz 5-13-13-31. Brandon, Lehman 8-8-16-32.A - 5,140.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 color photos