Kelowna Goaltender Hands Spokane A Rare March Loss

Derek Schutz may yet double his goal production from last season, but it won’t be easy if the Spokane Chiefs run into many more hot goaltenders.

Wednesday night, it was Aaron MacDonald of the Kelowna Rockets who thwarted the Chiefs.

Schutz beat MacDonald twice, but Spokane had little other success putting pucks past the 19-year-old veteran, who turned back 42 shots to spark the Rockets to a 5-3 Western Hockey League victory.

It was only Spokane’s second loss, against 15 wins and two ties, in games during the month of March under coach Mike Babcock.

The Chiefs, who started a three-game road trip with a 4-2 win in Kamloops on Tuesday night, wind up with a Saturday night visit to Tri-City.

MacDonald, acquired during the season from the Calgary Hitmen, was largely responsible for Spokane going 0 for 6 on the power play as the Rockets pulled within two points of the Chiefs in the battle for third place in the West.

One key stop came against Jared Smyth on a breakaway midway through the third period with the Chiefs on a power play.

Schutz, who had 10 goals last winter, collected his 18th of this season just 35 seconds into the second period to give Spokane its last lead at 2-1. He knocked in a rebound of a Hugh Hamilton shot.

No. 19 came 6:54 into the third when Schutz intercepted an errant Kelowna clearing pass in the slot and buried it on MacDonald.

That drew Spokane back within a goal at 4-3, but the Rockets iced it when Brett McLain hit the empty net with 22 seconds left and Chiefs goalie Aren Miller off for an extra skater. It was McLain’s 42nd goal, extending his scoring streak to 20 games.

Greg Leeb scored at 12:51 of the first for his 24th for Spokane, while Scott King (No. 36) and Jason Deleurme (35) had power play goals for Kelowna, which was 2 of 7 with a man advantage. Ryan Wade and Greg Hart got the other Kelowna goals.

Kelowna 5, Spokane 3

Spokane 1 1 1 - 3

Kelowna 1 2 2 - 5

First period - 1, Spokane, Leeb 24 (Whitfield), 12:51. 2, Kelowna, King 36 (Deleurme, Betik), 17:09 (pp). Key penalties - Haley, Spo, 2:56; Betik, Kel, 5:48; Haley, Spo, 8:45; DeWaele, Spo, 13:53; Ference, Spo, double minor, 16:32.

Second period - 3, Spokane, Schutz 18 (H.Hamilton), :35. 4, Kelowna, Deleurme 35 (Schultz), 11:50 (pp). 5, Kelowna, Wade 27 (Betik, Hart), 13:14. Key penalties - King, Kel, 1:59; Mallette, Kel, 6:17; Ference, Spo, 11:01; L.Hamilton, Kel, 14:32; Betik, Kel, 17:55.

Third period - 6, Kelowna, Hart 7 (Curtin), 1:09. 7, Spokane, Schutz 19, 6:54. 8, Kelowna, McLean 42 (King, Schultz), 19:38 (en). Key penalties - Smyth, Spo, 14:09; Deleurme, Kel, 14:58.

Power-play opp. - Spokane 0 of 6; Kelowna 2 of 7. Saves - Spokane, Miller 8-16-11-35. Kelowna, MacDonald 13-19-10-42. A - 2,100.