Rutherford leads Spokane to win over Tri-City

KENNEWICK – David Rutherford scored a pair of goals and Dustin Tokarski came within 2 minutes, 45 seconds of a shutout as the Spokane Chiefs defeated the Tri-City Americans 3-1 in Western Hockey League play Saturday.

The victory pulls the second-place Chiefs (40-13-1-5) within five points of the U.S. Division-leading Americans (44-13-1-2). The win also ended Spokane’s four-game skid and snapped Tri-City’s nine-game winning streak.

Rutherford staked the Chiefs to a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at the 9:50 mark of the second period. It was Spokane’s only opportunity with a man advantage all night. Stefan Ulmer and Ondrej Roman assisted on the score.

Rutherford extended the Chiefs’ lead to 2-0 just 1:15 into the final period. Roman and Judd Blackwater assisted on Rutherford’s 13th goal of the season.

Justin McCrae put Spokane up 3-0 at 15:20 in the third. Chris Bruton and Drayson Bowman notched assists. It was McCrae’s 16th goal of the year.

The Americans didn’t slip a shot past Tokarski until the 17:15 mark of the final period when Adam Hughesman accomplished the feat.

Tokarski stopped 23 of the 24 shots he faced and picked up his 24th victory of the season.

Spokane is 3-6 in head-to-head competition with the Americans this season. The Chiefs have yet to win in four tries at home, but have won three of five games at the Toyota Center.

Chet Pickard had 23 saves in goal for Tri-City.

The Americans were whistled for just two penalties on the night – the final one coming when Mitch McColm and Ryan Letts were hit with a 5-minute major for fighting in the third period.

Tri-City scored on only one of its five power-play opportunities.

Spokane held the Americans to five shots in the first period and four in the third. The teams took 28 of the game’s 50 shots on goal in the second period.

The Chiefs return home to take on the Kelowna Rockets at 7 p.m. Tuesday.