Chiefs face tough three games

The Spokane Chiefs, jockeying for playoff position, play three games in four nights this week as they complete a four-game Western Hockey League road stretch.

Two of Spokane’s games are against teams ranked in the top 10 in the most recent Canadian Hockey League rankings.

Spokane travels to Kamloops for a meeting tonight with the fifth-ranked Blazers. The Chiefs have struggled on the road, where they’ve played half of their 58 games and posted a record of 11-15-2-1.

Spokane (30-22-3-3, 66 points) enters the week in third place in the U.S. Division, behind Everett (No. 1, CHL) and Tri-City.

The Chiefs must finish second place or better to earn a first-round, home-ice advantage. Spokane has won 70 percent of its games in the Spokane Arena this season.

The Chiefs travel to fourth-place Seattle on Friday before hosting Kootenay (No. 6, CHL) at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when the team honors the Spokane Flyers senior amateur team.

Spokane will be without the services of injured forwards Seth Compton (leg, indefinite); Drayson Bowman (broken wrist, indefinite); and defenseman Justin Falk (broken wrist, indefinite). Judd Blackwater returned from injury last week.