TVrdon, Wallin Charge Up Chiefs

Roman Tvrdon and Mason Wallin welcomed their new teammate, goaltender Jason LaBarbera, with two goals each Wednesday night to lift the Spokane Chiefs to a 5-3 Western Hockey League win over the Kelowna Rockets in Skyreach Place.

Wallin scored his first goal early in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and Tvrdon scored just over 10 minutes later to give Spokane a 3-1 lead.

Kelowna battled back with a late second-period goal by Vern Fiddler and an early third-period score by Chris DiAublo. But Tvrdon and Wallin each scored again late in the final period to make a winner out of LaBarbera, who was acquired in a trade with Portland on Monday.

The win kept the Chiefs (26-11-2) five points ahead of second-place Prince George (21-17-4) in the Western Conference standings.

LaBarbera, who was selected to the WHL Western Conference all-star team, faced only 25 shots and turned back 22.

Chiefs 5, Rockets 3

Spokane 1 2 2 - 5

Kelowna 1 1 1 - 3

First period - 1, Spokane, Schutz 14 (Tvrdon, Smith), 9:34 (pp). 2, Kelowna, Leonard 6 (Rich, Paddock), 17:17 (pp). Key penalties - Barr, Spo, 7:19; Rich, Kel, 9:03; Johanson, Kel, 11:02; Barr, Spo, 15:17.

Second period - 3, Spokane, Wallin 7 (Cote), 1:17. 4, Spokane, Tvrdon 18 (Thompson), 11:58. 5, Kelowna, Fiddler 9 (Flaman, Germyn), 18:27. Key penalties - Bohac, Spo, 6:42; Lucky, Spo, 9:39; Farr, Spo, 12:18.

Third period - 6, Kelowna, DiAublo 3 (Fritz, Kelly), 2:29. 7, Spokane, Tvrdon 19 (Bohac, Thompson), 4:04. 8, Spokane, Wallin 8, 15:20. Key penalties - Yonkman, Kel, 18:35.

Power-play opp. - Spokane 1 of 3; Kelowna 1 of 5. Saves - Spokane, LaBarbera 9-7-6-22. Kelowna, Swanson 11-8-4-23. A - 4,320 (6,007).

Chiefs 5 Rockets 3 Friday: at Tri-City