Chiefs need one victory for sweep

EVERETT – Revenge is sweet, and the Spokane Chiefs are one win away from getting theirs.

After a 4-1 road victory on Wednesday night, Spokane has a 3-0 lead over the Everett Silvertips in their best-of-7 Western Conference quarterfinal series. A win tonight at Comcast Arena would put the Chiefs into the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs for the first time since 2003.

“It really feels great,” said Chiefs forward Levko Koper, whose short-handed goal in the first period gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead in the third game.

“We’re all having a lot of fun right now,” Koper said. “It brings everyone together – we’re all working for each other and really coming together as a team.”

In their last two playoff appearances, the Chiefs have ducked out in the opening round at the hands of the Silvertips – a four-game sweep of the Chiefs in 2004 and, after Spokane’s two-year absence in the postseason, a 4-2 Everett win in 2007.

In its fifth year as a franchise, Everett has never experienced first-round defeat in the playoffs.

“We’re a little more relaxed now, but we’ve still got to finish it,” said Chiefs left-winger Judd Blackwater. “We’re playing good. We want to win (tonight) really bad – we want to sweep these guys, get it over with and move on.

“They had our number during the season, and last year they beat us in the playoffs, so we’re happy to have the chance to beat them in four games.”

The Silvertips face tough odds in hopes of winning the next four games.

Though Everett played tighter defense and limited Spokane’s opportunities on Wednesday, the Silvertips have struggled to score. The Chiefs have outscored the Tips 13-4 – including when they were outshot for the first time in the series (29-24) on Wednesday.

Also stacked against Everett are the historical odds.

In the 41-year history of the WHL, only the Chiefs have come from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series when they beat Portland 3-4 in the first round of the 1996 playoffs.

So it’s not impossible, just unlikely. Judging by the air of confidence the Chiefs displayed outside the locker room after their third win – they know it.

“We’ve found a way to get contributions from everybody and we’ve just been solid in all areas,” said Chiefs coach Bill Peters. “There isn’t an area in our game where I think that there’s a glaring hole or a gap. It’s just fun to watch and be around these guys when they are as passionate about winning as they are right now.”

Ice chips

If Spokane wins the series, it will take on the defending Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants in the second round, set to begin April 4. The second-seeded Giants, who swept Chilliwack in the first round, would have home-ice advantage. … Chiefs broadcasts will be on 1510-AM for the remainder of the playoffs, instead of 790-AM.