Chiefs Banged Up, So Step Up Intensity
Smoke and mirrors.
That’s how Lou Piniella explained the Seattle Mariners’ drive into the baseball postseason.
Maybe Piniella dropped the mirrors over Spokane on the flight back to his Tampa home.
The Spokane Chiefs have used a little of that smoke-and-mirrors mix to get to the top of the Western Hockey League West Division.
They have yet to play their top 12 forwards and six best defenseman together at the same time.
Forward Matt Keith and defenseman Shawn Thompson are the latest casualties. They are listed as day-to-day with shoulder injuries. Chris Heid will miss another 2-3 weeks with a knee injury, and Lynn Loyns still may not be able to come back this week after five games off with a shoulder problem.
Yet heading into Wednesday night’s game in Portland, the Chiefs are leading a tight pack in the Western Hockey League West.
“Let’s hope we’re using up all our bad luck early,” coach Perry Ganchar said Monday after practice at Liberty Lake.
With five of their next six games on the road, the Chiefs would love to have Loyns back.
“He solidifies what we do with our line matchups,” Ganchar said. “He’s still a question mark, but we’re hoping he can go.”
That kind of pressure early may pay off come playoff time.
“We’re having to play with playoff-type intensity in November,” Ganchar said. “We really have no margin for error, and that means staying on top of our game. That makes us better, but what will that leave us for the end?
“Again, it’s a long season.”
Credit Ganchar and the Chiefs for turning up the intensity and discipline last week in a Thanksgiving eve win over a rough Regina club, and another win on the road in Tri-City. Right now, the banged-up Chiefs are playing as well as any team in the West.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a division race that involves so many teams as this one right now,” Ganchar said. “Nobody is out of the picture. It’s a credit to our guys that they’re on top, or close to it, because we just haven’t played as a completely healthy group.”
Notes …
David Boychuk will play in his 200th WHL game in Portland… . With Loyns missing the last five games, Brandin Cote is the Chiefs’ reigning iron man. Cote has played in 151 of the last 152 Spokane games… . Attendance in the Arena is up about 600 a game from last year, although well off the record pace of the ‘97-98 Memorial Cup season, when the Chiefs averaged 8,048… . The average is 6,828… . Roman Tvrdon has averaged a point a game in his last eight starts… . Tyler MacKay, tied for third in the WHL in wins with a dozen, will get the start in goal in Portland… . Kurt Sauer is threatening to break into the WHL’s top 10 in plus/minus with a team-high plus-12 rating.