Chiefs turn to vets as playoffs approach

The run-through for the Western Hockey League playoffs is under way for the Spokane Chiefs.

That’s why coach Bill Peters is looking for his team to play “smart hockey,” given that other teams have elevated their play over the Western Hockey League season.

So, with just six of 72 regular-season games remaining, the Chiefs should be seeing the best efforts from their opponents nightly.

“The league changes, nobody really realizes that unless you’ve played or coached in the league,” said Peters, in his second year. “It goes through three phases and we’re in the third phase, then we’ll enter the playoffs – which is a whole new animal.”

This week, the Chiefs will face some of the best teams. Spokane hosts two of its possible first-round opponents with home games tonight against Everett and Friday against Tri-City.

Another playoff team, Kootenay, visits Saturday in the home regular-season finale, as Spokane continues to jockey for playoff positioning in the U.S. Division. The top two teams get home-ice advantage against the third and fourth seeds.

Everett (1st) and Kootenay (6th) are both in the top 10 of the Canadian Hockey League rankings and Tri-City spent part of the season there. The Chiefs are trying to catch the rival Americans for second place, but their coach is more focused on the process than the outcome.

“It’s all about, this time of year, doing things right, so when you get into the playoffs you don’t go, ‘Oh, that (mistake) cost us,’ ” said Chiefs coach Bill Peters. “It gets a little easier if the forwards manage the puck properly and we play a disciplined game.”

Specifically, Peters would like to see his team continue to minimize its turnovers in the neutral zone – which creates odd-man rushes for opponents and puts too much pressure on defenders and the goalie – as well as avoiding penalties.

Spokane has done those things well the past few weeks while surviving some adversity. The team has been missing up to five key players to injuries, but one of them is back (J.P. Szaszkiewicz) and others may return soon.

In the meantime, the Chiefs have been leaning heavily on steady veterans such as Evan Haw, Derek Ryan, and Sean Zimmerman to carry the load. They have been logging a lot of minutes as the team prepares for its first playoff appearance in three seasons.

“I feel confident when you’ve got those older, more mature guys,” said general manager Tim Speltz. “Those guys are your leadership core.”

Yet Spokane has relatively limited playoff experience as a group. Ryan, Zimmerman and captain Adam Hobson are the only Chiefs who played in the 2004 first-round sweep at the hands of Everett.

“Those guys were so young; they weren’t the reason we didn’t advance,” said Speltz. “They were just minor contributors. Every team’s going to have a different group of guys leading them forward; with our guys, it’s no different.”

The Chiefs have imported some experience in trades over the past two seasons.

Haw and fellow defenseman Stephane Lenoski have roughly two- and three-dozen games’ experience, respectively, in the playoffs. Haw came over from Saskatoon last season. Lenoski was acquired from Brandon this season.

“I’ve got a lot of experience in this league, for sure,” said Haw. He and others have talked about the team having a goal beyond that of just being happy to make the playoffs.

“We’ve got the team to do it,” said Haw. “I believe in the guys and I think the guys believe in themselves. So, I think that we can have a really good run.”