Chiefs play home opener in winning style

It’s hard to put a finger on it, but something is different – very different.

Many of the players are the same from last year’s edition of the Spokane Chiefs, but their play is much more focused and energetic. They are also playing with a level of confidence which showed itself only at rare moments last season.

The result of all the above was a 4-1 win over the visiting Tri-City Americans in a Western Hockey League game on Saturday night at the Spokane Arena before a spirited crowd of 9,715.

The win in the Chiefs’ home opener was the first for coach Bill Peters as Spokane (1-1, 2 points) left its rivals alone in the cellar of the U.S. Division of the Western Conference.

“It’s very important to get that first win,” said Peters. “Because you’re not playing very many hockey games (early), and you keep looking in the paper and you’ve got the goose egg in the win column and you don’t like that.”

The key moment in the game came early in the third period, with Spokane leading by just a goal despite having outshot its opponent 26-16 after 40 minutes. That would change quickly.

Captain Jeff Lynch led a rush to the net after stripping the defenseman and hit Tri-City goalie Carey Price with a shot. The puck bounced off the leg pad of Price and Adam Hobson chipped it into the short side of the net just 16 seconds into the third period to make it 3-1.

The Chiefs added another goal in the final 20 minutes, but that was simply the back breaker.

The teams had entered the final period with the Chiefs leading 2-1, courtesy of a goal and an assist by Chris Bruton (and a Lynch assist), after Spokane overcame a 1-0 deficit.

Ian McDonald got Tri-City on the board first on a power-play goal at the 7:59 mark of the first period.

Spokane responded with Bruton’s first goal of the season, at the 14:54 mark, in spectacular fashion.

The goal came at full speed, as Mike Reich raced up the left wing while being shadowed by a defender. At the blue line, Reich led Bruton with a pass to the right slot. Bruton got a stick on the puck and redirected past the glove side of Price.

Bruton also had a hand in Spokane’s second goal, winning a face-off just outside the Tri-City zone and sending the draw back to defenseman Jason Lynch. Lynch wristed a shot past Price on a shot from above the right circle just 1:06 into the second.

The teams finished the period that way as the play got a little more ragged, with both goalies fending off flurries by their opponents.

After Jeff Lynch’s goal to start the third period, the Americans came back with several of their patented rushes. But they were denied at every turn by Spokane goalie Jim Watt (who had 21 saves) and a Spokane defense which did a good job of clearing pucks from in front of the net.

Spokane extended its lead to 4-1 on a rebound goal by 20-year-old Chad Klassen at the 6:40 mark of the third.

Chiefs 4, Americans 1

First Period—1, TC, McDonald 1 (Vey) 7:59 (pp); 2, Spo, Bruton 1 (Reich, Je Lynch) 14:54. Key penalty - Je Lynch, Spo (interference) 6:08

Second Period— 3, Spo, Ja Lynch 1 (Bruton) 1:06.

Third Period— 4, Spo, Hobson 1 (Je Lynch, Bowman) :16; 5, Spo, Klassen 2 (Ryan, Zimmerman) 6:40.

Power-play Opp.—Tri-City 1 of 6; Spokane 0 of 4. Saves—Tri-City, Price (L 0-1) 31 saves. Spokane, Watt (W 1-1) 21 saves. A—9,715.