Brule rules Spokane

No one outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, was glad to hear that superstar Gilbert Brule was coming back to the Western Hockey League unexpectedly from the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

Certainly not Brule – and definitely not the Spokane Chiefs.

Brule, the sixth overall pick in the 2005 draft, appeared to have stuck in the NHL this season before injuries sidelined him after just seven games. After fully healing, he was returned last month to Vancouver – where he had played his WHL career – and has felt right at home since.

Brule had back-to-back goals to break open a one-goal game as the Vancouver Giants downed the Spokane Chiefs 8-3 in WHL play on Wednesday night at the Arena.

Brule had two goals in the first 5 minutes, 45 seconds of the second period to extend his team’s lead from one goal to three, a 5-2 lead which Vancouver never relinquished. He also added an assist and has 11 goals and six assists in 14 games with Vancouver since Jan. 20.

“I would rather be playing in the NHL, but really I’m just glad to be playing hockey at all,” Brule said after the game. “We have a good team and it’s nice to knock off teams like Kelowna recently.”

Brule’s teammate, Spencer Machacek, completed a hat trick when he put a puck in the net off the skate of a Chiefs defenseman 44 seconds into the third period to seal the win. Machacek, who also had two assists, scored his team’s first two goals as Vancouver overcame a 2-0 deficit to reel off five unanswered goals en route to the easy win. The last of those two goals came from Brule.

The win allowed the WHL’s top-ranked team (38-14-0-6, 82 points) to avenge a Jan. 25 defeat at the hands of the Chiefs in which they led 3-0 before falling to Spokane 5-3.

On this night, it was Spokane that started quickly and faded even quicker.

“We had guys out there tonight who weren’t willing to be committed,” said exasperated Chiefs coach Bill Peters. “And it was our veteran guys that were not stepping up.”

The Chiefs got goals from Brad Erickson (at 6:33) and Michael Grabner (at 12:05) to take command of the game with their high-octane approach to offense. However, it would also lead to their demise.

Spokane gave up a power-play goal to Vancouver (by Machacek at 13:01) and two shorthanded goals in the final 1:30 of the period to leave the ice reeling and trailing 3-2 after one period. The latter two goals (by Machacek at 18:30 and Mitch Bartley at 19:16) both came off turnovers by Spokane’s power-play units. The back men in the alignment coughed up pucks which led to breakaway opportunities that Vancouver converted against Spokane starting goalie Kevin Armstrong.

“We got up early, but then those two shorthanded goals kind of took a lot out of us,” said Spokane’s Derek Ryan.

Then, just 1:13 into the second period, Brule got a goal to make it 4-2 and another at 5:45 to make it 5-2. Armstrong was pulled by Peters after the fifth goal – on 18 shots – and was replaced by Thomas Stehr.

The Giants continued their domination of Spokane, however. But not before Grabner got his team-leading 25th goal and second of the game at 11:45 of the second to briefly give the Chiefs some hope at 5-3.

But Bartley got his second goal of the game at the 15:14 mark and Machecek squelched Chiefs’ hopes with the quick goal in the final period.

Mario Bliznak closed out the scoring for Vancouver at the 5:14 mark of the third, which led Peters to bring Armstrong back into the game for the rest of the way.

The Chiefs (21-28-4-3, 49 points) take off for a four-game road trip, including two this weekend against division teams.

They remain tied for fourth place in the U.S. Division with Portland, a loser on Wednesday night.

Giants 8, Chiefs 3

First Period—1, Spo, Erickson 11 (Szaszkiewicz, Blackwater) 6:33; 2, Spo, Grabner 24 (Zimmerman) 12:05; 3, Van, Machacek 15 (Franson, Brule) 13:01 (pp); 4, Van, Machacek 16 18:30 (sh); 5, Van, Bartley 28 (Machacek) 19:16 (sh). Second Period—6, Van, Brule 10 1:13; 7, Brule 11 (Hunt) 5:45; 8, Spo, Grabner 25 (Hobson, Bruton) 11:45; 9, Van, Bartley 29 (Brule, Machacek) 15:14. Third Period—10, Van, Machacek 17 (Slade) :44; 11, Van, Bliznak 7 (Repik, Blum) 5:14.

Power-play Opp.—Vancouver 3 of 7; Spokane 0 of 5. Saves—Vancouver, Slade 27 saves. Spokane, Armstrong 17 saves, Stehr 11 saves. A—3,788.