Chiefs lose to Ams

The Spokane Chiefs will either live another week, with a chance to avenge a painful loss, or will remember this as the beginning of the end of their season.

The Tri-City Americans downed the Chiefs, 4-3, in a key Western Hockey League game on Saturday night before 10,571 at the Arena.

The win gave Tri-City (25-33-7-3, 60 points) a two-point lead over Spokane (24-34-8-2, 58) with four games to go for each team. Should the teams end the season tied in wins and points, a one-game play-in game would occur in Spokane on March 22.

On this night, Clayton Stoner’s solo effort up the ice and around the Spokane defense gave the Americans the game-winner at the 8:37 mark of the third period, as he put it in from the left circle and inside the far post of the Spokane net and past goalie Kevin Opsahl.

Opsahl was in goal because coach Al Conroy decided to go with him instead of his season-long top goalie, veteran Jim Watt.

“We decided to go with the guy who’s been a roll,” said Conroy.

Watt has far more WHL experience and had started the first 11 games during the season between the teams. He and Tri-City goaltender Carey Price have both played well in their rivalry, but Opsahl has been coming on strong as of late. He made 23 saves but this night was Price’s, as he made 32 saves.

The Arena was in near-playoff atmosphere at the start of the game, with a sellout crowd whose enthusiasm was evident.

“I don’t like the result, but we played well. I thought we outplayed them for 2½ periods,” said Conroy. “There’s still eight points out there. It’s far from over.”

The Chiefs would strike first, getting a rebound goal from their captain. Jevon Desautels put one between the pads of Price just 3 minutes, 37 seconds into the game and the Arena crowd voiced its approval. The goal, as well Spokane’s second, came on a power play.

But the lead would vanish quickly, as Tri-City answered at 6:30 as Jason Beeman beat Opsahl high.

Tri-City made it 2-1 when Shaun Vey put in a rebound of a Shawn Belle shot from the point at the 10:56 mark of the first. At that point, the Americans had their goals on just six shots and Opsahl was clearly shaky.

The Americans would be ready to take advantage of his nervousness and extended the lead to 3-1 when Shane Gimas put a shot on from the right point that whizzed by Opsahl as Marcus Jonasen provided interference in front of the net.

The goal, at the 14:50 mark of the first could have been a tough one to overcome, if Spokane had not been able to reply before the end of the period. At that point, Tri-City was outshooting Spokane 8-7.

Luckily for the Chiefs, rookie Derek Ryan answered for his team with his team on the power play. He put a shot on net from the high right slot and the rebound deflected back out and off the skate of Spokane’s Chad Klassen. Ryan saw that, moved in, and buried his own rebound past Price to make it 3-2 with just 3:13 remaining in the first.

In the second period, the intensity of the game stepped up measurably and the Chiefs would get a big goal to tie the game. Spokane would launch 17 shots on net to initiate a barrage that would eventually take its toll on Price, allowing only five shots on their own defensive end.

Spokane started playing a more physical brand of hockey and started paying the price to a man, getting to more loose pucks than Tri-City and controlling the play in their offensive zone. Price denied them time and time again, but Spokane finally broke through with the game-tying goal at the 11:25 mark of the second period when Jeff Lynch deflected in a Gary Gladue shot from the left point.

The Americans would try to quickly strike back, as is their pattern, but Opsahl finally started to settle into his comfort zone and began making some spectacular saves to preserve the tie. That’s the way the period would end.

Then came Stoner’s goal that won it.

The Chiefs battled intensely for the remaining time, even pulling Opsahl with 1:32 remaining. They would get several chances, including one with 14.6 seconds that ended with almost five Chiefs in the crease as they tried to push the puck over the line.

The night was off to a bizarre start even before the puck was dropped.

Spokane defenseman Matt McCue returned to the ice for the first time since Nov. 27, when his ankle was broken against Tri-City on a check from behind. His start was announced late, as defenseman Gustav Engman apparently caught a teammate’s high stick in the face during pregame warmups. He saw limited action.

Notes

The Chiefs called up Michael Senseman from the Spokane Braves after their Kootenay International Junior Hockey League season ended.

Senseman led the Braves in scoring after splitting the season between the teams.

Americans 4, Chiefs 3

First period–1, Spo, Desautels 15 (Bruton, Mercer) 3:37 (pp); 2, TC, Gimas 4 (Belle, Beeman) 6:30; 3, Beeman 10 (McDonald, Belle) 10:56 (pp); 4, Vey 6 (Belle, Connors) 14:50; 5, Spo, Ryan 14 (Je Lynch, Bruton) 16:47 (pp). Key Penalties – Gimas, TC (kneeing) 2:05; Stoesz, Spo (roughing) 6:15; Connors, TC (tripping) 15:31.

Second period– 6, Spo, Je Lynch 22 (Gladue) 11:25.

Third period– 7, TC, Stoner 12 (Gimas) 8:37.

Power-play Opportunities–Tri-City 1 of 2; Spokane 2 of 6. Saves–Tri-City, Price 32 saves. Spokane, Opsahl 23 saves. A–10,571.