Chiefs beat Seattle one more time

What does a guy have to do to get a game puck?

David Rutherford scored a pair of beautiful goals in a 2-1 Western Hockey League game Wednesday night in the Spokane Arena to give his Chiefs teammates a home-and-home sweep of the Seattle Thunderbirds.

The only two goals in a home ice victory that moved Spokane a win away from clinching a playoff spot, and still no game puck.

“The game puck went to the Bruton line,” Spokane coach Bill Peters said. “(Chris) Bruton, (J.P.) Szaszkiewicz and (David) Linsley – those three guys don’t get a lot of respect around the league, but the guys in the room know just how hard they’re playing and just how well they’re playing right now.”

The starting line has played well, shutting down its Seattle counterpart on back-to-back nights. The game puck is recognition for putting in 60 blue-collar minutes night in and night out.

Rutherford added the flash and added the exclamation point to the night.

The center attacked the net at the end of the first period, finding an open lane along the goal line that allowed him to beat T-Birds (23-19-2-11) goalie Derek Yeomans with a backhand shot that gave Spokane (30-20-3-3) a 1-0 lead.

Seattle’s Aaron Gagnon evened the game at 1 by pushing a rebound past Spokane goaltender Kevin Armstrong.

Rutherford scored the winner on a play that set up like a page from a hockey textbook.

Rutherford took a penalty for holding 6 minutes into the third period.

As his teammates finished killing the 2-minute penalty, the play carried past the penalty box and into the Seattle end, allowing Rutherford to slip onto the ice unnoticed and skate in on a 3-on-2 Spokane attack.

“I wasn’t sure Derek (Ryan) saw me or not,” Rutherford said. “I had to ask him when I got back to the bench. I guess he did a pretty good job of selling it.”

Ryan dropped a perfect pass that Rutherford one-timed past an out-of-position Yeomans.

“You don’t see very many opportunities like that one,” Rutherford added. “They don’t come much more beautiful than that.”

With the win and a loss by the Portland Winter Hawks, Spokane is two points away from clinching a playoff berth. A Spokane win or Portland loss in regulation will eliminate the Winter Hawks and guarantee Spokane a spot in the postseason.

“Moose Jaw fired head coach Steve Young and replaced him with assistant Rene Lemire on an interim basis.