Ams Do It To Chiefs Again Easy Goal, Splendid Goaltending Help Tri-City Extend Mastery Of Spokane

So much has changed in the 10 months since the Spokane Chiefs were worst in the West.

So much, but not everything.

The Chiefs still can’t touch the Tri-City Americans. For the 16th time in 18 games over the past two seasons, the Americans paddled Spokane.

And this one - Saturday’s 3-1 Ams win before 10,455 in the Arena - wasn’t that close.

It was Tri-City’s game from the moment Spokane left K.C. Timmons alone in front of the net in the first period and paid the price. With time enough to take a knee and casually fire at will, Timmons put the Americans up 1-0 in the first period.

Goaltender Jomar Cruz took it from there.

Still wearing his black and gold Brandon Wheat Kings pads, Cruz - acquired in an early-season trade - turned aside 25 of 26 shots in Tri-City’s fifth win in six meetings this season with Spokane.

Tri-City has won eight of its last nine in the Arena over the past two years.

“They competed better within their system than we did,” Chiefs coach Mike Babcock said. “It’s pretty obvious we’ve got that success disease called complacency. We’re going to have to get that looked after.”

Still, it wasn’t quite as easy as it seemed.

“Look around (the locker room) and you’ll see a lot of ice bags,” said Timmons, 19-year-old left wing in his fourth season in Tri-City. “Spokane works hard every night. We just try to match or beat their work ethic. A crowd like this raises your intensity but you get pumped for Spoke, whether it’s here or in Tri-City.”

The Ams pulled away in the second period with powerplay goals 1:42 apart by ex-Chief Blake Evans and Tri-City captain Darrell Hay. Evans scored his career-high 20th goal of the season.

Timmons, with a goal and an assist, was the media’s choice for star of the game. Evans skated off with the third star.

Lynn Loyns scored for Spokane, his 13th strike of the year.

The loss spoiled the homecoming of Spokane’s Kyle Rossiter, who brought a bronze medal home from the World Junior Tournament in Sweden.

“I didn’t have much gas tonight but I can’t blame that on the travel,” Rossiter said. “I think I need a little bit of a rest. I didn’t bring my A game tonight, or last night (in Portland). I was fighting the puck both nights.” Rossiter said the Chiefs “have to get back to what made us successful. We’re wandering from our system a little bit,” he said. “It always gets tougher in the second half of the season. It’s only going to get tougher from here on out.”

The Chiefs, still comfortably in the lead in the WHL West at 25-11-2-1, are on the road for their next four games before returning to the Arena on Jan. 22.

Tri-City, sixth in the West, suited only 15 skaters, three under the standard 18. Six got on the scoresheet.

“We had to get a lot out of not very many,” Ams coach Don Hay said.

“They were more physical,” Babcock said. “They were better. You can’t cheat (for position) and beat a team that’s working hard.”

Americans 3, Chiefs 1

Tri-City 1 2 0 - 3

Spokane 0 1 0 - 1

First period - 1, Tri-City, Timmons 12 (Davidson, Layden), 3:13. Key penalties - Hay, T-C, 12:05; Feniak, T-C, 17:14.

Second period - 2, Tri-City, Hay 8 (Timmons), 1:35 (pp). 3, Tri-City, Evans 20 (Clark, Downing), 3:17 (pp). 4, Spokane, Loyns 13 (Roles, Smith), 17:07 (pp). Key penalties - Rossiter, Spo, 2:27; Boychuk, Spo, 2:56; Johansson, T-C, 5:30; Smyth, T-C, 12:47; Davidson, T-C, 15:14; Timmons, T-C, 16:41.

Third period - None. Key penalties - Bohac, Spo, 13:08.

Power play opportunities - Tri-City 2 of 4. Spokane 1 of 6. Saves - Tri-City, Cruz 11-5-9-25. Spokane, MacKay 12-5-9-26. A - 10,455.