Chiefs Take Aim At West Division-Leading Winter Hawks
Mike Babcock calls these the biggest two games of the season but not because first place is at stake in the Western Hockey League West.
The second-place Spokane Chiefs play the division-leading Winter Hawks tonight at 7:30 in Memorial Coliseum in Portland, where the Hawks are 7-0.
Saturday night the Chiefs and the Hawks are back in the Arena for the rematch.
They go tonight separated by a single point in the division standings.
“The biggest game is always the one you’re playing, no matter who it is,” Babcock said Thursday, deflecting any pressure his team might feel with a little coach-speak.
Actually, other than settle however temporarily the lead in the West, this is shaping up as a preview of April and the playoffs.
Last year, Portland took Spokane to seven games in the opening round of the postseason. This season, it would be no surprise to see the two in the division finals.
Games home-and-home on consecutive nights gives both coaches a clear look at where his club sits relative to the best in the West.
Improved this year, unbeaten in their last five games, the Winter Hawks are led by Todd Robinson, who had a career-high five points (four goals and an assist) in Wednesday night’s 7-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers.
Portland coach Brent Peterson insists the Winter Hawks are a year away.
“We could be in fifth or sixth in two weeks,” he said. “I still think Spokane is the best in the division. They struggled a bit in their last road trip (losing four straight) but I still say they’ll walk away from the rest of us. They’re a helluva team and we know it. We just want to improve and give them a good run.”
The Winter Hawks are rounding into shape to do just that. Goaltender Brent Belecki is practicing and should be ready next week, despite suffering another cut recently in practice.
Portland center Tyler Murray is also skating and is about a week away from returning from a broken ankle. His availability would bring the Winter Hawks to full strength.
The Chiefs aren’t as fortunate. Jay Bertsch remains in Sacred Heart Medical Center, suffering from what general manager Tim Speltz has said is a viral infection.
Joel Boschman played only briefly Wednesday night before his injured groin forced him to the bench.
Although Trent Whitfield was moving around the pressbox pretty nimbly Wednesday night as broadcaster Craig West’s pregame guest on the radio, his injured ankle could keep him out Friday night, Babcock said.
Whitfield said he hopes to play.
No goals, but still a hero
Derek Schutz wasn’t sure he’d touched the puck in either one of the two goals he was credited with in Wednesday night’s 4-1 win over the Prince George Cougars.
Turns out he didn’t.
The goals that scorers originally gave to Schutz were actually scored by Joe Cardarelli. A scoring change late Wednesday night put the goals where they belonged, in Cardarelli’s corner.
Schutz, who wound up with one assist rather than two goals, still ranked as one of the players of the game, Babcock said.
“That’s the kind of guy he is,” Babcock said. “Unselfish. When they asked who got the goals, he told them. It wasn’t him.”
Around the WHL
Whitfield had an interesting response to the rare ice storm that swept through here Tuesday with devastating affect. The Chiefs center is from Alameda, Sask., where temperatures of 30 below are not uncommon. Thinking of the wind and snow that batter his hometown, Whitfield said, “That was the calmest storm I’ve ever seen.” … Portland coach Brent Peterson and Kamloops coach Ed Dempsey were slapped with bench minors and ordered to leave with 19 seconds left in Portland’s 7-3 win Wednesday night. Peterson and Dempsey exchanged words after Dempsey sent out his tough guys on the power play late in the game… . Earlier, ex-Chief Kevin Popp got into it with Kamloops tough guy Rob Skrlac. Skrlac apparently was looking to take care of unfinished business from that scrap when the two coaches exchanged advice… . Winter Hawks goaltender Kris Wickenheiser, picked up as a fill-in for the injured Brent Belecki, has rejected 105 of the last 114 shots he’s faced. When Belecki returns, the Hawks will carry three goaltenders, including 16-year-old Jason Labarbara.
, DataTimes