Kelner, Armstrong lead Chiefs past Cougars

PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia – In 55 games last season, Curtis Kelner scored one goal. One game into the 2007-08 Western Hockey League season, Kelner has two.

The 19-year-old left winger from Peoria, Ariz., scored two unassisted goals Friday night to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 5-2 win over the Prince George Cougars in the WHL opener for both teams in the Multiplex.

Spokane opened a 3-0 lead in front of steady goalie Kevin Armstrong through two periods as linemates Drayson Bowman and Chris Bruton, fresh from NHL camps, sandwiched Kelner’s first goal with their firsts.

But in a span of less than 2 1/2 minutes before the third period was half over, PG capitalized on some sloppy play by the Chiefs in their own end of the ice for goals by Dale Hunt and rookie Corey Tyrell to make it 3-2.

Judd Blackwater’s power-play goal at 15:19 of the third restored order for the Chiefs, and Kelner’s shot the length of the ice into an empty net at 19:28 with Spokane skating short-handed iced it.

Armstrong made 22 saves.