Chiefs fall yet again to Kelowna as Prospera Place streak now 11

KELOWNA, British Columbia – Maybe, just maybe, things would be different this time.

The Spokane Chiefs, trailing the Tri-City Americans by one point in the race for the final playoff berth from the Western Hockey League’s U.S. Division, travel to face a team they haven’t beaten on the road since April, 2002, needing a victory.

Not this time.

Tyler Spurgeon had a goal and two assists and Lauris Darzins had two assists and the Kelowna Rockets beat the Chiefs 4-1 for the 11th consecutive time at Prospera Place.

Meanwhile, in Kennewick, the Americans (23-31-7-3) earned a 1-1 tie versus the Kamloops Blazers to increase their lead for that playoff berth to two points.

Spokane (22-31-8-2) has nine games remaining, beginning with back-to-back games at Prince George on Friday and Saturday.

After a scoreless first period, Kelowna (40-12-11-2) found the net first when Justin Keller scored a power-play goal with 9 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the second period.

Spokane would get its only goal 8 minutes later when Jeff Lynch redirected a shot past Kelowna goalie Kristofer Westblom for the Chiefs’ first goal in Kelowna in 258 minutes.

It was Lynch’s team-high ninth power-play goal of the season.

But Kelowna would take over in the third period with a three-goal barrage, including two goals just 26 seconds apart just past six minutes into the period.

Brent Howarth, twin brother of Chiefs’ player Kyle Howarth, scored the first of those goals.

Jim Watt made 31 saves in goal for Spokane. Kristofer Westblom stopped 27 shots for Kelowna.

After the Chiefs play the pair of games with Prince George, they enter the final seven-game stretch of the regular season. Four of those games will be at home, including one game with Tri-City.