Chiefs Go Up 2-0 On Rockets Spokane Can Now Close Out Playoff Series On Its Home Ice

Twenty-four hours didn’t change their focus. They came in with the same heart. They played with the same intelligence.

The Kelowna Rockets reprised their role, too, taking the same kinds of dumb penalties that doomed their effort the night before.

Only Mike Haley was different.

Haley, whose usual speciality is sacrificing the body, popped in the game-winning and insurance goals Saturday night in the Spokane Chiefs’ 5-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets.

The Chiefs are home today, up two games to none, only two wins away from sweeping this best-of-7 Western Hockey League series.

The rivalry continues Wednesday night in Spokane.

Again, Kelowna’s taste for the undisciplined infraction worked against the Rockets, but that and the 5-3 score were the only similarities to Friday night’s opener.

The Chiefs led this one 2-0. Kelowna led 3-2. The Chiefs tied it at 3 on the power play, Joe Cardarelli scoring his second goal of the night.

Enter Haley.

His first goal came on the power play at 7:27 of the second period, with Kelowna’s Tyler Prosofsky in the penalty box for cross-checking.

The puck came to Haley. “I just felt like no one was around me,” he said. “I hesitated, went one way, trying to go down. I played against him (Kelowna goaltender Aaron MacDonald) when we were younger. Everyone was saying to shoot low the whole time. I went around him, shot low in the right corner.”

Eight minutes later he had his second of the night, and his fourth this year against the Rockets. Four of his seven have come against Kelowna. Three were game-winners.

On the other extreme is Prosofsky, the Rockets captain who was whistled for four minors. He was one prime reason why the Rockets gave the Chiefs 11 power-play opportunities. Spokane essentially won the game by scoring on three and skating away from trouble.

“It’s the most disciplined Spokane team I’ve ever seen,” Rockets coach Pete Anholt said. “The way we’re playing - taking the penalties we’ve taken - is embarrassing.”

Chiefs coach Mike Babcock named Haley as his player of the game.

“He went to the net hard and made some nice plays with the puck,” Babcock said.

Haley’s line was on fire all night. He was teamed with Cardarelli and John Cirjak.

With the score tied at 2 in a wild first period, the Rockets’ Brett McLean was called for a rough and Scott Hannan was sent off for cross-checking. It gave the Chiefs a 5-3 power play that Cardarelli jumped on.

Cardarelli scored on the rebound at 19:10 of the first to tie it at 3.

Goals by Marian Cisar and Cardarelli put the Chiefs up by two in the first 3:04 of the game, but the Rockets’ Luke Curtin re-directed Prosofsky’s shot with the Rockets on the power play for a score midway through the opening 20 minutes.

Six minutes later, Curtin scored on a penalty shot to tie it after Chiefs defenseman Hugh Hamilton hooked him going to the net.

A minute later, the Rockets stripped the puck from Cisar off the wall and were off on the break that McLean turned into his first goal of the series.

Kelowna’s first lead of the playoffs lasted 1:53, with McLean and then Hannan going off with minors that led to Cardarelli’s second power-play goal of the night.

Chiefs 5, Rockets 3

Spokane 3 2 0 - 5

Kelowna 3 0 0 - 3

First period-1, Spokane, Cisar 2 (Schutz, Dewaele), :44. 2, Spokane, Cardarelli 1 (Cirjak, Dewaele), 3:04 (pp). 3, Kelowna, Curtin 1 (Prosofsky, King), 10:04 (pp). 4, Kelowna, Curtin 2 (penalty shot), 16:09. 5, Kelowna, McLean 1 (Deleurme, Betik), 17:23. 6, Spokane, Cardarelli 2 (Hamilton, Cirjak), 19:10 (pp). Key penalties-Prosofsky, Kel, 1:25; Reich, Spo, 3:27; Haley, Spo, 9:40; Schultz, Kel, 14:05; McLean, Kel, 18:03; Hannan, Kel, 18:42.

Second period-7, Spokane, Haley 1 (Jones), 7:27 (pp). 8, Spokane, Haley 2 (Cirjak, Cardarelli), 15:09. Key penalties- Ference, Spo, 1:19; Prosofsky, Kel, 5:42; Diener, Kel, 7:42; Rossiter, Spo, 17:55; Hamilton, Spo, 19:55; Diener, Kel, 20:00.

Third period-None. Key penalties-Prosofsky, Kel, 6:35; King, Kel, 11:42; Dewaele, Kel, 13:47; Magarrell, Spo, 16:50; Prosofsky, Kel, 19:28; Parker, Kel, 19:35.

Power-play opp.-Spokane 3 of 11; Kelowna 1 of 7. Saves- Spokane, Miller 9-10-6-25. Kelowna, MacDonald 14-9-12-35. A-2,200. , DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ON DECK Game 3: Chiefs vs. Kelowna, Wednesday, 7 p.m., Arena