Chiefs lose in final second

If you looked up the definition of “heartbreak” in the Spokane Chiefs’ dictionary, you would find this game.

Brett Carson’s goal as time expired, his second straight of the game, completed a three-goal rally by the Calgary Hitmen as they downed the Spokane Chiefs 4-3 in Western Hockey League play before 6,103 Saturday night.

The result left Spokane’s players and its fans stunned, most poignantly illustrated by the picture of backup goaltender Kevin Opsahl. After the winning goal was allowed and both teams left their benches for the locker room, Opsahl remained in the crease stunned and slumped, staring out in disbelief.

Opsahl, recently acquired from Portland, had another solid game, but again came out on the losing end of the score.

“I was a little disappointed in myself after the game,” said Opsahl. “I definitely should have came out here and got two points for my team. I had a chance to prove myself … and I didn’t do as well as I wanted myself to.

“I’m really frustrated with the fact that I haven’t won in a Chiefs uniform yet. Zero-zero ties, 4-3 losses on the last shot … I don’t know what it’s going to take, but I’ve got to dig deep and find something else.”

The final play could be seen as either simply bad luck or as a direct result of poor play by the Chiefs for the second straight night in the third period.

It came when Spokane, which was outshot 17-6 in the final period, was unable to clear the puck from its zone. After a shot on goal, Opsahl played the puck to the glass to his right with less than two seconds left in regulation, but it was there that Calgary’s Ryan Getzlaf gloved it down and shot it cross-ice to the right point, where Carson blasted it in from just inside the blue line.

The goal came as the buzzer sounded and, after a brief discussion by the officials, the goal was allowed. Chiefs coach Al Conroy said the goal crossed over the line before time expired.

It was a wasted effort of two periods for the Chiefs, who held a 3-1 lead over the Hitmen entering the third period.

The Chiefs got off to a quick start as the teams exchanged fluke goals in the first period and Spokane ended the first 20 minutes leading 2-1 because of a beautiful offensive play by one of its outstanding rookie forwards.

Spokane struck first in the game, just 3:03 into the first period when Stephen Gillen made a play on his own rebound to put his team out front.

The goal came as the Chiefs had begun to apply a lot of pressure, with Gillen eventually trying to back-hand a rebound on the doorstep that was denied. He followed the puck behind the net, however, and brought it back out front, throwing it across the crease, where it hit off a Calgary defender and tumbled in for a goal.

Calgary would come back at the 6:48 mark of the period with its own lucky-bounce goal.

Hitmen center Darryl Moscaluk went unchallenged from the left side of the net and simply flicked the puck up toward Opsahl. The puck bounced off the back of the Spokane goalie to make it 1-all.

Midway through the period, the teams started getting more physical as the game opened up a little bit. At that point, the Chiefs were out-shooting the powerful Hitmen by a 2-to-1 advantage and that effort paid off.

At the 15:57 mark, rookie center Chris Bruton made a pass that belied his experience.

Handling the puck deep in the corner, Bruton sent it across ice through the crease, where two Chiefs were waiting. Gary Gladue ended up being the one to get it, deflecting it off his skate for the go-ahead goal. The Chiefs would end up outshooting Calgary 13-8 in the period.

Neither team took control of the game at the start of the second period, but the Chiefs got some momentum after a stop in play at the midway point of the period.

After a slashing incident near the Calgary bench, the Hitmen retaliated and Spokane’s Kyle Howarth and Calgary’s Andrew Ladd went after one another. Players from both teams mulled around the pair. Calgary ended up on the short end of the penalties, as it lost one of its top players, Ladd, for the remainder of the game. Ladd and Howarth each received slashing majors and a game misconduct. Ladd was also hit with a roughing minor.

But the Chiefs, who struggled all game on the power play, failed to convert on either the 5-on-3 or the 5-4 advantages that ensued. In fact, Spokane soon found itself back on the penalty kill at the 13:37 mark when Reich went off for a slash.

Calgary 4, Spokane 3

First Period

1, Spo, Gladue 4 (McCue, Desautels) 3:03. 2, Cgy, Moscaluk 2 (Alzner, Dansereau) 6:48. 3, Spo, Gillen 4 (Bruton, Opsahl) 15:57.

Second Period

4, Spo, Reich 2 (Logan) 15:44. 5, Cgy, Kohn 4 17:03

Third Period

6, Cgy, Carson 3 (Dupont, Merkley) 12:13. 7, Cgy, Carson 7 (Getzlaf) 20:00. Key penalties – Hobson, Spo (high sticking) 10:34.

Goal – Calgary: Spence (W, 4-2-2) 24 saves; Spokane: Opsahl (L, 1-4-1) 25 saves.

Power plays — Calgary: 1-4; Spokane: 0-4. A – 6,103.