Chiefs edge T-Birds 3-2 in preseason play

KENNEWICK – The Spokane Chiefs jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 3-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday in the first game of the Red Lion Preseason Tournament at the Toyota Center.

Spokane took a 3-0 lead on first-period power play goals by Chris Bruton and Drayson Bowman 59 seconds apart and one in the second by Chris Langkow.

The Thunderbirds (2-2) got on the board at 19:58 of the second on a power-play goal by Radek Meidl, and cut the deficit to one at 10:36 of the third on a goal by Jeremy Boyer. The T-Birds ended the game with a 5-on-3 advantage but couldn’t get the puck past Spokane goalie Kevin Armstrong.

Armstrong and Dustin Tokarski combined for 31 saves.

The Chiefs are 3-1 in the preseason with three more games against Tri-City remaining before the start of the Western Hockey League season.

The teams play tonight at 7 in the Red Lion Tournament then have a home-and-home series Friday at Eagles Ice-A-Rena and Sept. 16 in Kennewick.