One more time!
Just for old time’s sake, the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans will lay it all on the line one more time.
For one team, the Western Hockey League season ends today. For another, the playoffs continue and the league championship series begins Friday.
The Chiefs had the perfect opportunity to send their U.S. Division rivals packing on Monday night. But just like a third period in which they outshot the Ams 13-1 and had half-a-dozen quality scoring opportunities, they missed their chance.
In front of 8,108 fans at the Arena, Kruise Reddick scored a power-play goal 4 minutes, 39 seconds into overtime to give the Americans a 2-1 victory, tying the Western Conference championship series 3-3. Game 7 is tonight at Kennewick’s Toyota Center.
“It really doesn’t matter, because we didn’t win,” Chiefs captain Chris Bruton said of the loss being difficult to swallow. “We can’t get down or feel sorry for ourselves, because what’s it going to do? It’s now Game 7 and we’ve got to find a way to win.
“I think it’s up to the individual. We’ve scored all year and we’ve had trouble in this series and it’s just a time when you have to bear down – it’s going to be the difference between winning and losing.”
The Chiefs outshot the Americans 36-22 in the game. What kept the Americans in the game was goaltender Chet Pickard, who finished with 35 saves.
“We get a chance to play in Game 7 in our rink,” said Tri-City coach Don Nachbaur. “Tonight we found a way to get it done. We were very resilient and our goaltender was outstanding. Tonight, our goalie was just fantastic.”
Both teams came out hungry in the first, but it was the Chiefs who got on the board 4:09 into the game when Mitch Wahl set up Judd Blackwater’s sixth goal of the playoffs.
Just as Shaun Vey’s hooking penalty expired, Wahl carried the puck to the top of the right circle, faked a shot and passed to Blackwater, who one-timed a shot from the high slot that hit the left post and ricocheted into the net.
Twice in the middle period it appeared Spokane would extend its lead, but the first time Pickard stopped Justin McCrae’s 1-on-1 shot on the goal line. And late in the period, McCrae pulled the puck away from Pickard and put the puck in the net, but the referees waved off the goal because they had whistled to stop play before the puck went in.
The Americans evened the score when Petr Stoklasa scored his first playoff goal late in the second.
“I thought we outplayed them in the third. I thought it was an even game through 40 (minutes),” said Chiefs coach Bill Peters. “We had a good third period but obviously we didn’t find a way to score. If we capitalize on a couple of those different chances, possibly a different outcome. We need a little more poise in the offensive zone and we’ll be fine.”
Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski finished with 19 saves.
Ice chips
Spokane was 0 for 5 on the power play and 1 for 5 on the penalty kill. Forwards Dustin Donaghy and Blake Gal and defensemen Brett Bartman and Jace Coyle were healthy scratches for Spokane. … Forwards Jason Gardiner and Drew Hoff were scratches for Tri-City. Hoff was injured after a collision with Spokane’s Blackwater in Game 5 on Saturday.