Chiefs Reverse Their Fortunes Spokane Blanks Prince George, Tries Tonight To Clinch Third Place

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Twenty-four hours after his team played its most disappointing game in his three years as coach - and faced with the bleak but real possibility of a losing season - Mike Babcock went after his leadership Saturday night.

The Spokane Chiefs coach benched captain Hugh Hamilton, not for what Hamilton did in a six-goal loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night, but for what he represented.

The heart and soul of his hockey club.

Babcock picked on the most conspicuous leader, the guy who wears the C on his sweater.

The Chiefs responded by playing as well Saturday night in a 4-0 win over the Prince George Cougars as they played poorly the night before.

So Spokane won’t have a losing season.

They can still finish third, and with it take an important edge into the first round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.

They recognize the difference between tough and dumb.

Maybe they were saving their best for last.

The Chiefs are in Seattle tonight after spanking Prince George in their last home game of the season before 10,455, who pushed attendance in the Arena to a franchise-record 285,743.

If they can beat or tie the T-Birds tonight, the Chiefs will head into the first round with home-ice advantage, meaning that if their best-of-7 series with the Kelowna Rockets goes the full seven games, four will be played here.

The Rockets finished their season at 35-35-2. The Chiefs are 34-33-4. Both have 72 points in the West Division standings. But the Rockets, with an extra victory, have the edge.

Prince George was down to three lines and four defensemen 13 skaters - but credit Spokane for beating the Cougars for the sixth time in eight tries with offensive balance and discipline.

Nine players had points, including Greg Leeb, who took over the club scoring lead with a goal and an assist. Leeb has 83 points. Trent Whitfield notched the important first goal - the Chiefs are 24-10-3 when they score first - with one of two Spokane power-play goals.

The Chiefs put Prince George on the power play a manageable four times - a third of the power-play chances they handed to Seattle the night before.

Goaltender Aren Miller posted his third shutout. He saw only 15 shots but it was his most gratifying zero, coming as it did after he was pulled in the first period of Friday night’s debacle. Miller pitched the shutout with his father, Murray, and sister Ashley in the stands from Estevan, Sask.

The brief benching was tough on Hamilton, Babcock said.

“We felt we had to do something to change the hit-and-miss that has been happening here of late,” Babcock said. “Discipline was a problem (Friday night) but you can’t sit out a whole team. Hamilton is a heart-and-soul guy, our leader. We felt we had to make a stand and that stand was sitting out a quality man.

“You can imagine how tough that was on him.”

The motivational message has to do with accountability.

The point was made.

The Chiefs outshot the Cougs 43-15. They killed penalties - Prince George was scoreless in four tries on the power play.

Joe Cardarelli registered his team-high 34th goal. Marian Cisar ran his scoring streak to 12 games with an assist on Derek Schutz’ 20th goal of the year.

The Chiefs finished 21-16 at home.

What a difference a day makes.

Chiefs 4, Cougars 0

Prince George 0 0 0 - 0 Spokane 1 2 1 - 4

First period-1, Spokane, Whitfield 33 (Leeb, Jones), 10:40 (pp). Key penalties-Jones, Spo, 4:24; Low, PG, 7:39; Chara, PG, 9:20; Ference, Spo, 13:34; Mullen, PG, 17:28.

Second period-2, Spokane, Leeb 27 (Jones, Whitfield), 6:34 (pp). 3, Spokane, Cardarelli 34 (Cirjak, Haley), 12:04. Key penalties-Mullen, PG, 5:37; Reich, Spo, 9:25; Rossiter, Spo, 12:26.

Third period-4, Spokane, Schutz 20 (Cisar, Boschman), 10:11. Key penalties-Rossiter, Spo, 3:52; Ference, Spo, 18:58.

Power-play opp.-Prince George 0 of 4; Spokane 2 of 4. Saves- Prince George, Mason 17-14-8-39. Spokane, Miller 5-4-6-15. A-10,455.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WHL WEST DIVISION W L T Pts GF GA Portland 45 21 5 95 298 196 Seattle 41 26 4 86 208 243 Spokane 34 33 4 72 254 232 Kelowna 35 35 2 72 298 314 Kamloops 28 37 6 62 254 283 P.George 28 38 5 61 238 285 Tri-City 22 43 6 50 223 287