Johnson nets another winner for Chiefs

Game winners are getting to be Tyler Johnson’s specialty.

The Spokane centerman broke a tie with an unassisted goal in the second period and goaltender Dustin Tokarski turned back 14 shots in the final 20 minutes to give the Chiefs a 3-2 Western Hockey League victory over the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

The victory, Spokane’s third in a row and fifth in six games, launched the Chiefs’ six-game road swing through the WHL’s East Division – and also launched the Chiefs back into first place in the U.S. Division, a point ahead of Tri-City, which was idle.

Johnson’s goal – his fourth winner of the season, which ties him for the league lead in that department – came at the 7:33 mark of the second after he won a faceoff in the right circle.

The 18-year-old from Spokane retained possession and crossed in front of the net, backhanding the puck over the stick of Raiders goalie Steven Stanford.

The Chiefs jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Ryan Letts got them started 7 minutes into the game with a rebound of his shot, his fifth goal this season. Just more than 4 minutes later, Mitch Wahl, skating along the left side boards with his back turned to the goal, made a beautiful backhanded pass to the far post and found a wide-open Steve Kuhn, who banged in his third goal of the season.

But Ryan McDonald cut Prince Albert’s deficit in half at the 16:40 mark, and Dustin Cameron knotted the game on a power-play goal 37 seconds into the second period after Spokane’s Brett Bartman had been sent off late in the first for cross checking.

Tokarski turned back 38 Prince Albert shots, including a couple of tough chances in the third period – one in which he had to fall backward on a puck rolling free in front of the net. He raised his record to 12-4-0-2 on the season.

Spokane’s Drayson Bowman had two assists.

The Raiders outshot Spokane 40-29, and the Chiefs were scoreless in their two power-play opportunities.

The road swing resumes tonight at 5 in Saskatoon against the East-leading Blades.

KIJHL

Dylan Walchuck scored three goals to lead the Neil Murdoch Division-leading Nelson Leafs (18-4-0) to a 6-2 win over the Spokane Braves (11-11-1) at Nelson Community Complex.