Hawks Steal Opener Chiefs Waste Chances In 3-2 Overtime Loss

Keep going, even if you think you’ve read this before.

The Spokane Chiefs - who lost to the Portland Winter Hawks 3-2 Friday night in overtime - score an apparent game-winning goal in the Western Hockey League playoffs only to have it waved off.

They go on to lose.

Mike Babcock saw it happen the last time his team was in a playoff game - little more a year ago in Tri-City. The puck went in, it appeared his team had won, the goal was disallowed.

But any similarity to that heartbreak and Portland’s upset before 6,849 in the Arena is coincidental. Spokane’s Darren Sinclair did appear to score with 14 seconds left in regulation with the game tied at 2, but referee Kevin Acheson ruled that goaltender Brent Belecki had the puck covered up before it slipped into the back of the net.

Still, Babcock was looking for no excuses after Brad Isbister’s overtime goal at 6:23 of the extra session gave the Winter Hawks the upset of the WHL’s first round.

No. 6 beat No. 1 - not only No. 1 in the West, but No. 1 in North America.

“That was a good call by the referee,” Babcock said after the Chiefs found themselves in a 1-0 hole in this best-of-seven first round. “He blew the whistle before the puck went in the net. Whether he should have blown the whistle or not, I don’t know. He’s closer to it than I am. That wasn’t the game.”

The game, Babcock added, was the first two periods, “when the Spokane Chiefs were fishing, or something. We weren’t in our regular-season mode.”

The Winter Hawks, who dropped six of eight regular-season games to the Chiefs, won for the first time in five visits to the Arena by making the Chiefs play catch-up.

Portland led 1-0 and 2-1 before Isbister scored the game-winner with a one-handed shot with Spokane’s Hugh Hamilton draped all over him.

The series resumes with Game Two here tonight at 7.

Isbister’s soft shot drifted under goaltender David Lemanowicz’ arm 6:23 into the sudden-death period.

“I was breaking up the middle and (Todd) Robinson made a great pass to me,” Isbister said. “I thought I was in all alone, but Hamilton caught up and was kind of hanging all over me. I just had one hand on my stick and the goalie might have thought I was going across the net. I just tried to lift it over his arm, short side.”

Actually, it went under the arm, but Isbister was a little preoccupied with Hamilton to admire his handiwork.

“Lemanowicz is a great goalie,” he said. “I was kind of surprised it went in. This is definitely a relief. It was a defensive game - a good battle. You have to work hard with them. Our goalie was magnificent in overtime.”

Until Isbister’s breakthrough, the Chiefs were running the show in overtime, finally revved up after playing from behind all night.

Spokane had an 11-6 shots advantage in the extra session.

Winter Hawks netminder Brent Belecki rejected 50 shots to key the biggest upset in the WHL’s opening round. Strong in defeat, Lemanowicz had 40 saves.

“Belecki came up big when we needed him,” Portland coach Brent Peterson said. “We got the one chance and got it in. Spokane must have had five qualify chances in overtime, but when you play well enough to make it to overtime you always have a chance to win.”

“Give them full marks,” Babcock said. “They came in here and worked hard. We didn’t get involved until halfway through the game. Then I thought we took the game over, when we got a little more desperate.”

The Hawks broke through first, inside the final minute of the first period, when Richard Zednik, who scored a series-high 12 goals in eight regular-season games against the Chiefs, spun and lifted the puck over Lemanowicz’s shoulder at 19:49.

It took the Chiefs nearly 16 minutes to get it tied.

Portland’s Andrew Ference turned it over at center ice, with the Winter Hawks on the power play. Greg Leeb picked it up on the right wing and was off on a 2-on-1 break with Trent Whitfield.

Leeb pushed it ahead to Whitfield, who directed the puck past Belecki at 15:39 of the second period.

Whitfield’s short-handed goal pulled the Chiefs into a tie at 1 after two periods.

Portland’s Matt Davidson scored on the wraparound with the Hawks on the power play at 6:14 of the third period, shoving the Chiefs back in the hole out of which they fought most of the night.

Joe Cardarelli interrupted the tight-checking, end-to-end third period at 13:52, taking Jan Hrdina’s backhanded feed in the slot and stuffing it by Belecki to tie the game at 2, where it sat after 60 minutes.

The Chiefs appeared to win it with 14 seconds left, when Sinclair’s shot hit the back of the net, but Acheson ruled that Belecki had the puck covered and had killed the play before the puck popped loose.

Winter Hawks 3, Chiefs 2 (OT)

Portland 1 0 1 1 - 3

Spokane 0 1 1 0 - 2

First period - 1, Portland, Zednik 1 (Davidson) 19:49. Key penalties - Leonov, Spo, 3:28; Symes, Por, 8:24; Gillam, Spo, 14:31.

Second period - 2, Spokane, Whitfield 1 (Leeb) 15:39 (short-handed). Key penalties - Magarrell, Spo, 9:25; Schutz, Spo, 12:21; Hrdina, Spo, 14:28; Robinson, Por, 18:32.

Third period - 3, Portland, Davidson 1 (Scatchard, Forbes) 6:14 (power play); 4, Spokane, Cardarelli 1 (Hrdina, Cirjak) 13:52. Key penalties - Jones, Spo, 3:08; Tetarneko, Por, misconduct, 3:08; Shockey, Spo, 5:08; Symes, Por, 8:33.

Overtime - Portland, Isbister 1 (Haupt) 6:23.

Power plays opp. - Portland 1-7, Spokane 0-3. Saves - Belecki, Por, 15-8-16-11-50; Lemanowicz, Spo, 16-7-12-5-40.A-6,849.

Kamloops 3, Seattle 2

Kamloops, British Columbia

Jarome Iginla scored twice, including the game-winner, as the Blazers defeated the Thunderbirds in the first game of their West Division playoff series.

Aaron Keller added the other Kamloops goal.

Chris Schmidt and Bret DeCecco scored for Seattle, which twice bounced back from one-goal deficits.

Tri-City 4, Kelowna 1

Kennewick

The Americans got goals from four players to defeat the Rockets in the opening game of their best-of-seven West Division playoff series.

Mark Hurley, Dan Focht, Daymond Langkow and Shawn Gervais scored for the Americans.

Adam Smith replied for the Rockets.

Langkow’s short-handed goal, which made it 3-0 at 9:52 of the second period, was pivotal. It came with the Americans skating two men short.

Smith narrowed the gap early in the third period before Gervais restored the three-goal margin.

Tri-City fired 48 shots at Rockets goaltender Rob Friesen, while Americans goaltender Brian Boucher faced 38 shots.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 Color)