Chiefs top Hawks, talk about playoffs

For those of you who can’t read a calendar, Spokane Chiefs coach Bill Peters can help.

“There’s a lot of time left. Who’s kidding who?” Peters asked after his team’s wild 5-4 win over Portland in Western Hockey League play on Friday night at the Spokane Arena.

After the game, Peters and his players consistently stated their belief the team can make the playoffs. The win was big in the standings, as last-place Spokane (19-26-4-2, 44 points) gained ground on the team in front of it, Portland (21-24-3-2, 47).

“There’s no doubt about it. What are there, seven weeks left?” Peters asked.

His argument was aided by the nights of Spokane’s Derek Ryan and linemate Johannes Salmonsson, who each had four points to lead the way. Ryan had two goals and two assists. Salmonsson had a goal and three assists.

After two straightforward periods, the teams put six goals on the board in the third period.

Spokane’s first goal came when rookie Drayson Bowman got a baseball bat-type swing at a bouncing puck in the Portland crease and put it into the net at the 15:39 mark of the first period.

But Portland stepped up pressure on the Chiefs and Kyle Bailey buried a shot from the right circle that whizzed past the glove of Spokane goalie Kevin Armstrong just 2:01 later.

The Chiefs took the lead back at 2-1 late in the second period when Ryan got control of the puck at the right circle and fired a wrister on net that Portland goalie Dustin Butler only slightly deflected.

Salmonsson put Spokane up 3-1 just 1:14 into the third, on a rebound of a nifty Ryan shot on net that left Butler on his belly.

But Portland responded. Jannik Hansen had the first of his back-to-back goals at the 10:10 mark to make it 3-2, but Ryan responded with his second goal just 50 seconds later, set up perfectly by Salmonsson.

Spokane’s second two-goal lead didn’t last long, as Hansen scored a shorthanded goal at the 12:41 mark to make it 4-3.

Chiefs defenseman Sean Zimmerman got what turned out to be the winning goal at the 13:35 mark when he scored from just inside the blue line as the same power play came to an end.

The Chiefs led 5-3, but allowed a goal by Frazer McLaren with 5:01 left. They then had to hold on as Portland pulled Butler the final two minutes.

Chiefs 5, Winter Hawks 4

First Period—1, Spo, Bowman 11 (Ryan, Magistrale) 15:39; 2, Por, Bailey 13 (Balan) 17:60. Second Period—3, Spo, Ryan 18 (Salmonsson, Haw) 14:06. Third Period—4, Spo, Salmonsson 8 (Ryan) 1:14; 5, Por, Hansen 17 (Funk, McLaren) 10:10; 6, Spo, Ryan 19 (Salmonsson) 11:00; 7, Por, Hansen 18 (sh) 12:41; 8, Spo, Zimmerman 1 (McCue, Salmonsson) (pp) 13:35; 9, Por, McLaren 8 (Hansen, Balan) 14:59.

Power-play Opp.—Portland 0 of 3; Spokane 1 of 6. Saves—Portland, Butler 33 saves, Mucha 3 saves. Spokane, Armstrong 26 saves. A—5,820.