Chiefs Step Up In West Balanced Victory Over Rockets Propels Spokane Into First Place

Unlike the movies, the sequel was better than the original.

Chiefs-Rockets II - the battle of Western Hockey League heavyweights - turned into a relatively tame game that Spokane used as a springboard into first place.

With a 5-3 win over the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night in the Arena, the Chiefs jumped back on top in the WHL West heading into tonight’s 7 o’clock faceoff with the struggling Kamloops Blazers in the Arena.

As they did in winning 7-4 here Wednesday night in the first game of a rare two-game series with Kelowna, the Chiefs went deep into the second period for a decisive strike.

John Cirjak and Trent Whitfield scored in the final 2:05 of the second to break this one open.

Kelowna had tied it on Jason Deleurme’s backhander into an open net 12:46 into the second period. Although they were outshot 31-12 at that point, the Rockets were even where it counted at 2-2.

But Cirjak scored on the power play with 2:05 left in the period and Whitfield followed with a wicked slap shot from the point with 9.9 seconds remaining to send the Chiefs into the second intermission up 4-2.

Hugh Hamilton attached the exclamation point - an early third-period goal, the Chiefs’ fourth on the power play.

Before the game, Spokane coach Mike Babcock asked for better numbers from his special teams, and his two principal power-play units responded by scoring on four of nine chances.

And, yes, the two toughest guys on the two toughest teams squared off in the third period.

You’d never suspect that Jay Bertsch of Spokane and Kelowna’s Scott Parker are friends, or were when they roomed together for two weeks last month at training camp with the New Jersey Devils.

“We became pretty good friends,” said Bertsch, who was playing in his first game in nearly two weeks since suffering a neck/shoulder stinger at Tri-City. “I just skated up to him and said, ‘If you’re going to fight anyone, I’m your guy.’ He said ‘All right, let’s go.”’

An inch shorter than the buffed 6-foot-5 Parker, Bertsch landed the only blows - three quick lefts - before Parker shed his equipment and Bertsch skated away.

“When you strip out of your gear like that, hey, I’m not going to stand there and throw with anyone (who does that),” Bertsch said, “no matter who it is. It’s not right. They have an advantage. He grabbed my right hand right away, I threw a couple of lefts and that was it. It wasn’t much of a fight.”

It was a pretty good game.

Hamilton had a goal and three assists to skate off with the first star award.

“Everybody played hard tonight,” Hamilton said. “We knew they’d be be coming after us. They were out flying. They upped it a notch from Wednesday night, but so did we.”

Other than Hamilton there were a half-dozen candidates for first star including:

Derek Schutz, who scored the opening goal and was a physical presence in front of the net.

Cirjak, who had the game-winner, a power-play assist and repeatedly won the faceoffs that added to Spokane’s edge in puck possession time.

Whitfield, whose slap shot with time running out in the second sapped the life out of the Rockets, coming as it did 1:56 after Cirjak had knocked in the game-winner.

Greg Leeb, who had a pair of power-play assists.

Joe Cardarelli, who, with a goal and an assist, had another hot game in a streak of productive outings.

Cardarelli was Babcock’s choice for player of the game.

“Joey is my pick,” Babcock said, “with honorable mention to Schutzie and Cirjak.”

Chiefs 5, Rockets 3

Kelowna 1 1 1 - 3

Spokane 1 3 1 - 5

First period - 1, Spo, Schutz 6 (Cardarelli, Hamilton), 15:35 (pp). 2, Kel, King 9 (Diener, Curtin), 18:32 (pp). Key penalties - Hamilton, Spo, :34; Hart, Kel, 2:59; Mallette, Kel, 6:18; Parker, Kel, 15:03; Schutz, Spo, 16:43; Parker, Kel, 19:39.

Second period - 3, Spo, Cardarelli 4 (Cirjak, Hamilton), 1:25 (pp). 4, Kel, Deleurme 6 (King, McLean), 12:46. 5, Spo, Cirjak 6 (Leeb, Whitfield), 17:55 (pp). 6, Spo, Whitfield 8 (Hamilton, Leeb), 19:51 (pp). Key penalties - Hannan, Kel, :41; Brown, Spo, 5:38; Deleurme, Kel, 10:02; Haley, Spo, 15:14; Fleury, Kel, 16:20; Deleurme, Kel, interference, misconduct, 18:29.

Third period - 7, Spo, Hamilton 2, 4:20. 8, Kel, Laing 4 (Curtin, Wade), 16:04. Key penalties - Schutz, Spo, 10:21; Parker, Kel, misconduct, 13:10.

Power-play opp. - Kelowna 1 of 5; Spokane 4 of 9. Saves - Kelowna, Friesen 15-17-12-44. Spokane, Miller 4-10-10-24. A - 5,771.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo