Portland At Spokane
Time, site: 7:05, Arena
Radio: KXLY-AM (920)
Summary: Tyler MacKay will be in goal tonight when the Spokane Chiefs take on the reeling Winter Hawks. Thus Jason LaBarbera, a 3-1 Wednesday night winner in Kamloops, will not meet his former teammates. LaBarbera was traded to Spokane last month. LaBarbera came out of the Kamloops game physically sound “but we’re just being careful,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. LaBarbera had been nursing a pulled hamstring.
The Chiefs lost forward Matt Keith to a broken thumb this week in practice. Keith was to undergo surgery Thursday night, the coach said. Spokane is also without Mason Wallin (ankle). Portland, playing its first game under new coach Mike Williamson, has lost a franchise-record 11 in a row.