Chiefs End Road Swing With Win Over Lethbridge

The Spokane Chiefs broke a two-game losing streak Sunday night by beating the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-3 and in doing so, regained a tie for first place in the WHL’s West Division.

The Chiefs pulled into a tie with idle Kamloops - and moved one point ahead of Tri-City, which beat Kelowna 8-6 - after ending their five-game road swing with a 3-2 record.

Sunday night, Spokane fell behind 3-2 after the Hurricanes scored three goals in the second period, one shorthanded and two on the power play.

But the Chiefs battled back, scoring three goals in the third period. Greg Leeb put a wrist shot past Lethbridge goalie David Brumby 1:10 into the period followed by Joel Boschman’s game-winner from the left point at 10:53. Jay Bertsch added an insurance goal at 13:54, his second in two nights and fourth on the road trip.

Trent Whitfield and Sean Gillam also scored for the Chiefs. Whitfield scored on a slap shot at 13:13 of the first period and Gillam beat Brumby from the right point at 7:50 of the second period.

Spokane 1 1 3 - 5

Lethbridge 0 3 0 - 3

First period-1, Spo, Whitfield 24 (Leonov, Gillam), 13:13 (pp). Key penalties-Mehalko, Let, 12:59; Hanas, Let, 19:42.

Second period-2, Let, Brigley 23 (Theoret), :39 (sh). 3, Spo, Gillam 9 (Leonov, Whitfield), 7:50. 4, Let, Josephson 20 (Theoret, Perry), 12:38 (pp). 5, Let, Novotny 6 (Law, Smith), 18:40 (pp). Key penalties-O’Grady, Let, 6:49; Leeb, Spo, 12:04; Whitfield, Spo, 16:52.

Third period-6, Spo, Leeb 28 (Bertsch), 1:10. 7, Spo, Boschman 2 (Leonov), 10:53. 8, Spo, Bertsch 12 (Gillam), 13:54. Key penalties-None.

Power-play opp.-Spokane 2 of 8; Lethbridge 2 of 10.Saves-Spokane, Lemanowicz 7-5-5-17. Lethbridge, Brumby 3-13-10-26.A-3,143.

, DataTimes