Chiefs Come Up Empty In Ot Lowly Prince George Knocks Off Spokane 5-4

(From Replay, February 4, 1997:) Prince George beat the Spokane Chiefs 5-4 in regulation, not overtime as the headline incorrectly stated in Monday’s editions.

Fatigue was a factor. Injuries were a factor. A huge break was a factor.

But there was a message tacked on to the Spokane Chiefs’ 5-4 loss to the Prince George Cougars Sunday at the Arena.

That is, the Chiefs can no longer flip on the automatic pilot and fly over the perennial Western Hockey League West Division cellar rats.

Stan Butler’s Cougars broke a 4-4 tie with 3:15 to go to move back into a tie for fourth place at 22-27-3, seven points behind the third-place Chiefs.

Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Chiefs three times rallied from behind before 5,293, until 17-year-old center Jarrett Smith popped the game-winner into an empty net with goaltender Aren Miller buried under two players.

The controversial goal gave PG its first win in the Arena and kept the Cougars - last in the West for seven straight seasons - among the six teams that would make the playoffs based on today’s standings.

“When the net is off its moorings before the puck’s in the net, it’s no goal,” said Chiefs coach Mike Babcock, who started the game without four injured forwards, then lost a fifth, right wing Ty Jones, to a first-period back injury. “But in fairness to the referee he doesn’t have instant replay like the rest of us do. He made a decision. I have no trouble with it.”

The Cougars in essence said the call was correct, that the puck was never covered up, that the net didn’t come loose until Miller and the rest of the pile rolled over and the shot was off.

The play started with the Cougars on a rush. Spokane’s John Cirjak took Cougar Blair Betts into Miller, who had rejected a shot by Ronald Petrovicky before going down in a heap. When the puck rebounded high and bounced under Spokane’s Joel Boschman, Smith with the long rebound had nothing to shoot at but empty net.

If the Chiefs and their fans could swallow that one they refused to accept an interference call on Brad Ference that left Spokane short-handed for the final 1:34.

“I think it was pretty clear (that the goal should have counted),” Smith said, “but I can see how they could argue it. And then with that penalty right after, the fans went a little hysterical. We would have argued it, too.

“The rebound just kept coming,” Smith added. “It slid through the skates of Boschman and I had the empty net. You can’t miss those shots.”

The first period was hell on penalty killers.

The Cougars scored the first two times they were on the power play. Successful on 4 of 4 power-play opportunities the last time these two met, the Cougars were an impressive 6 for 6 on the power play in a two-game span until failing to break through on their last chance with the extra attacker.

With Mike Haley, Yegor Mikhailov, Derek Schutz, Jared Smyth and Jones hurt, the strain on available manpower was most obvious when the Chiefs were on the penalty kill.

Chris Low, Mike Bayrack, Joel Kwiatkowski and Betts had the other goals for Pringe George, who 24 hours before lost 7-4 at Tri-City.

Joe Cardarelli got the first of two first-period power-play goals for Spokane, assisted by Trent Whitfield and John Cirjak. With the helper, Cirjak extended his scoring streak to seven straight games.

Greg Leeb got the second goal to send the Chiefs off at the first intermission tied at 2.

Marc Brown scored his fourth goal of the year to give the Chiefs their only lead 4 minutes into the second period. But Kiwatkowski’s one-timer from the point of the power play got Prince George even at 3 and Bayrack scored with a nifty move with his backhand to put the Cougars up 4-3.

Chad Reich tied it for Spokane inside the final minute of the second period with help from Kris Graf, who threw two big hits in the Prince George zone to clear space for Reich. The assist came from Marian Cisar with 36 seconds left in the period.

That left it up to Smith and referee Harry Dumas in crunch time.

The Chiefs are off this week. They play at Tri-City Saturday night.

Cougars 5, Chiefs 4

Prince George 2 2 1 - 5

Spokane 2 2 0 - 4

First period - 1, Prince George, Low 6 (Walterson, Mehalko), 4:31 (pp). 2, Spokane, Cardarelli 27 (Whitfield, Cirjak), 10:15 (pp). 3, Prince George, Betts 9 (Luciuk), 12:17. 4, Spokane, Leeb 17 (Whitfield, Hamilton), 17:47 (pp). Key penalties - Reich, Spo, 2:45; Bayrack, PG, 9:33; Kwiatkowski, PG, 13:16; Brewer, PG, 16:16; Mehalko, PG, 17:18.

Second period - 5, Spokane, Brown 4 (Evans), 4:11. 6, Prince George, Kwiatkowski 12 (Brewer, Petrovicky), 6:47 (pp). 7, Prince George, Bayrack 3 (Kwiatkowski, Voltera), 15:08. 8, Spokane, Reich 9 (Cisar), 19:24. Key penalties - Dewaele, Spo, 5:50.

Third period - 9, Prince George, Smith 16 (Petrovicky), 16:45. Key penalties - Ference, Spo, 18:26.

Power-play opp. - Prince George 2 of 3; Spokane 2 of 4. Saves - Prince George, Myers 10-9-7-26. Spokane, Miller 4-5-11-20. A - 5,293.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo