Spokane aims to heat up home ice
The Spokane Chiefs will finally get a chance to see what kind of home team they are this season.
Spokane will host four Western Hockey League opponents over the next eight days, beginning tonight with the biennial visit from the Saskatoon Blades. The Chiefs also have home games this week on Friday and Saturday, followed by a game Oct. 26.
Seven games into the season, Spokane finds itself in a tie with Tri-City for third place in the five-team U.S. Division (3-4-0-0, 6 points). The Chiefs are four points behind leader Everett and two points behind Portland.
Spokane plays 12 of its next 16 game at home between now and the end of Thanksgiving week, including games with every team in the division.
It’s a stretch of games in which coach Bill Peters will learn a lot about his team as it hits the one-third mark of the regular season.
“It’s an opportunity for us to make a move in the standings, …” said Peters. “In the short term, we’ve got to get four in a row at home out of the way and then we have a bunch of home games after that.
“We have to establish ourselves at home. We’ve only played twice at our place – and it’s time to make a move in the division.”
Portland was picked as the cream of the division by the experts and Seattle has struggled in last place as its coach, Rob Sumner, remains stuck in Canada with visa problems. Everett is always consistent and Spokane again finds itself locked up with its rival, Tri-City.
“It’s going to be tight the rest of the way, I think, and it’s going to be huge when you’re in the Western Conference – and the U.S. Division in particular – to get the job done,” said Peters.
That’s just one of the reasons why Saturday’s 5-4 road win over Tri-City was big. The game was a step for Spokane in overcoming its tendency to not finish off teams – a trait which dogged it last season.
“There is a little bit of a hangover from last season …” said assistant captain Jason Lynch, “but I believe it’s just a matter of time before it’s a 100 percent forgotten – and maybe it’s 95 percent forgotten right now.”
It was also a milestone for another reason: Spokane’s previously impotent power play was responsible for four of the five goals. The other goal came via the penalty kill.
Tough-guy image emerges
Spokane hasn’t been afraid to mix it up this season.
Led by returning toughman Myles Stoesz, the Chiefs aren’t backing down from protecting their teammates when things get chippy.
Spokane has replaced departed captain Jevon Desautels by a committee of Stoesz and the diminutive Mike Reich up front, along with Jason Lynch and Matt McCue on defense.
“I think it’s nice to know that you have guys that will look out for you, if that situation arises,” said McCue, who has twice taken on Tri-City enforcer Aaron Boogard – once in the preseason and in a rematch Saturday.
Stoesz pummeled Boogard in the home opener and is building a reputation that may allow him to fight less.
Lynch is an accomplished fighter, but he sees that part of the game as part of a bigger picture.
“I figure we have to let teams know that our forwards are a little small and skilled, then we have a really big, strong back end,” said Lynch. “We hit hard and finish checks, but we don’t let teams get away with things. … We protect each other and look after each other in different ways. Other guys help us out on the power play and they do their job – and me and Myles take care of any of the rough stuff.”
For his part, McCue said he’s just trying to be “more tough all around” after bouncing back from a season-ending ankle injury last winter.