Schutz Reverses Chiefs’ Slide Two Goals Help Struggling Spokane Win For Just Third Time In 11 Games

This time his two goals will stand.

Credited with two goals last week in a Spokane Chiefs win, Derek Schutz had them wiped out after a post-game review revealed that the scores belonged to Joe Cardarelli.

Schutz struck again Wednesday night in front of 6,102 in the Arena, and this time his two goals stood up to review.

More importantly, they led to a 4-3 Western Hockey League win over the explosive Regina Pats, a game Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said was a must win.

The Chiefs (15-12-2) had been in a freefall, having won only two of their last 10 games before beating the highest-scoring team in the league.

Regina’s Josh Holden, playing his first game in nearly three weeks, put the Pats on the board first, shedding defenseman Hugh Hamilton before sending the puck with his backhand under the pads of goaltender Aren Miller.

It was the only goal of the first 20 minutes and it was wiped out quickly in the second period when the Chiefs struck twice in 42 seconds.

Alone in the slot, Schutz took a feed from Greg Leeb out of the corner and sent the puck over Andy Adam’s shoulder at 2:27 of the second.

Forty seconds later, Cardarelli scored his 14th goal of the season, finishing off a 2-1 break with John Cirjak.

Schutz made it 3-1 with 3:48 left in the second period. When Cardarelli’s slap shot bounced off Adams, Schutz - with defenseman Brad Stuart draped all over him - went down to his knees in the crease. He found the puck and swept it around the goalie.

Regina refused to lose its third straight without a fight. Lars Pettersen scored at 1:37 of the third period to pull the Pats to within one at 3-2.

Cirjak took over the club scoring lead with his 16th goal and 41st point of the year on a scoring play set up by Marian Cisar. Cisar, on a 2-0 break with Cirjak, found the tape of Cirjak’s stick with a perfect pass into the crease that Cirjak deflected in with his backhand at 16:16 of the third.

Regina kept it interesting. Boyd King rebounded his own shot from the blue line with 2:34 to go to make it a one-goal game.

Miller, who rejected 36 of Regina’s 39 shots, protected the lead down the stretch.

Playing their first of four games in five nights, the Chiefs visit Kelowna on Friday night and Tri-City Saturday night before returning to the Arena for a Sunday nighter with the East Division-leading Swift Current Broncos.

, DataTimes