Chiefs Hoping To Keep March Drive Alive

When the Spokane Chiefs visit Tri-City for the latest game in their seemingly endless season series Saturday night, the host Americans may be on the receiving end of a little March Madness.

Wednesday, Spokane suffered only its second March loss in 19 starts during the three-year reign of coach Mike Babcock, losing the middle game of its three-game road trip at Kelowna, British Columbia.

Although Derek Schutz scored twice for Spokane, hot goaltender Aaron MacDonald of Kelowna turned back 42 shots to spark the Rockets to a 5-3 Western Hockey League victory.

Tri-City defeated Spokane 4-2 in Kennewick last Friday, but the Chiefs rebounded at Spokane on Saturday, winning 7-1 as Marian Cisar fired in four goals. After splitting the first games of their current trip, the Chiefs are one game above .500.

MacDonald, acquired during the season by Kelowna from the Calgary Hitmen, was largely responsible for Spokane going 0 for 6 on the power play Wednesday 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.

, DataTimes