Punchless Power Play Ko’S Chiefs

The image and voice of Chiefs coach Perry Ganchar was up on the video wall Friday night in the Arena, defining the basic objectives of the power play.

The pregame explanation is part of what the Chiefs call Hockey 101. Another name for it might be Hockey for Dummies. It should be required viewing for all 20 Spokane Chiefs who dress for tonight’s game in the Arena with the Saskatoon Blades.

Two fatal mistakes in one flawed 2 minutes of power-play time in the third period were the difference in the Chiefs’ 5-3 loss to the Kamloops Blazers in front of 5,722.

Two turnovers led to the game-winning and insurance goals down the stretch in the Chiefs’ second straight loss at home.

The Blazers’ Konstantin Panov started the play that led to Jared Aulin’s game-winning goal with 7:36 left. “Panov chipped the puck away from (Spokane’s Tim) Smith,” said Aulin, who scored for the sixth time this season. “It went into the corner. There was a battle down low. Their guy tried to play it out. It hit the side of the net.

“There was a lot of confusion - guys getting tied up - and I ended up with a clear break on the goalie.” Aulin faked a shot, brought the puck to his forehand and drove it low past Spokane’s first-time starter in goal, Barry Brust.

As bad as that was, the Chiefs were still only a goal down, still on the power play and still had the crowd into it.

Thirty-eight seconds later, Kamloops’ Jonathan Hobson stole the puck in the Chiefs zone and broke in alone on Brust to score the Blazers’ second short-handed goal in the same shift.

That prompts a question. Are the Chiefs working as hard as they did last season?

“Not yet,” said Mike Moore, the Blazers’ general manager, who ran the team with assistant coach Matt Recchi in the absence of coach Dean Evason, who was in Winnipeg with his family. Evason’s father underwent heart surgery this week.

That Spokane has yet to establish itself as the grinding team it was last year comes as no revelation.

“Give up one (short-handed goal late in the game) is bad enough,” Ganchar said. “But two… . I can’t remember that ever happening. We came out strong in the third, tied it, went on the power play and then got lazy.

“Until we decide to pay the price, these are the results we’re going to get.”

“The two short-handed goals came from our speed,” Moore said. “It’s from closing in on a guy in a hurry. They’re playing a forward back there (Shawn Thompson, a converted winger). Panov and Hobson have speed and they used it.”

The Chiefs were thin on the back end without David Boychuk, who sat out with “a combination of things,” Ganchar said.

But when they got off to their fastest start of the year - Lynn Loyns striking 38 seconds in - the Chiefs had the early lead. Spokane had a chance to bury the Blazers in the first, up a goal and on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:53. They got a little too fine and didn’t capitalize.

“We were on our own page,” Ganchar said. “It’s time to wake up and realize what kind of team we are; realize what works and what doesn’t.”

Mark Rooneem and Panov brought the Blazers from behind to lead 2-1 after one. Panov chipped the puck away from Smith in the neutral zone, darted in on Brust and beat the goaltender with a quick snap shot. It was Panov’s 12th goal in 10 games.

Kamloops stretched the lead in the second on Jarrett Lukin’s deflection of Tyler Boldt’s shot from just inside the blue line.

Down 3-1 for the second time in as many games with Kamloops, the Chiefs began to carve into the deficit when Matt Keith scored his fifth goal, this with the Chiefs on the power play.

Jeff Lucky tied it at 3 with 9:52 to go, rebounding Mason Wallin’s shot.

Blazers 5, Chiefs 3

Kamloops 2 1 2 - 5

Spokane 1 1 1 - 3

First period - 1, Spokane, Loyns 5 (Cote, Krymusa), :38. 2, Kamloops, Rooneem 1 (Krestanovich), 7:37. 3, Kamloops, Panov 12, 18:47. Key penalties - Perry, Spo, 4:29; Elliott, Kam, 8:57; Sloan, Kam 9:04; Loyns, Spo, 13:12; Krymusa, Spo, 13:35; Gionet, Kam, 17:29; Krymusa, Spo, 17:41.

Second period - 4, Kamloops, Lukin 2 (Boldt, Rooneem), 10:05. 5, Spokane, Keith 5 (Tvrdon, Smith), 17:48 (pp). Key penalties - Horman, Spo, 3:35; Loyns, Spo, 7:35; Upshall, Kam, 11:13; Kamloops bench (too many men on) 17:21.

Third period - 6, Spokane, Lucky 4 (Wallin), 10:08. 7, Kamloops, Aulin 6, 12:24 (sh). 8, Kamloops, Hobson 4, 13:02 (sh). Key penalties - Deniset, Kam, 11:43; Gionet, Kam, 14:23; Loyns, Spo, 15:04.

Power play opportunities - Kamloops 0 of 7. Spokane 1 of 7. Saves - Kamloops, Parley 6-8-9-23. Spokane, Brust 11-13-6-30. A - 5,722.