Chiefs slip against Ice
Disaster strikes in second period
CRANBROOK, B.C. – The Spokane Chiefs saw a first-period advantage melt in a 4-minute, 29-second span of the second period and the end result was a 4-3 loss at the hands of the red-hot Kootenay Ice in Western Hockey League action Saturday night.
Steele Boomer buried a shot in the net at the 7:38 mark of the second period to pull the Ice into a 2-2 tie. Max Reinhart put Kootenay on top 2 minutes later and Dustin Sylvester scored what proved to be the game-winner on a power play at 12:07 to send the Ice to their 11th straight win.
The loss leaves the Chiefs with a 2-1-0-1 record through the first four games of their marathon eight-game road trip. Spokane is tied with Portland for third place in the U.S. Division with 56 points, one point behind second-place Everett but 13 back of front-running Tri-City.
Spokane’s next game is Saturday in Kennewick against the Americans.
“Overall, I thought our guys played well,” said Chiefs coach Hardy Sauter. “I would like to have part of that second period back. Obviously, we have a very important game Saturday in the Tri-Cities.”
It didn’t take Spokane long to fall behind at the Cranbrook Rec Complex.
Kevin King staked the Ice to a 1-0 lead just 80 seconds into the game.
But the Chiefs bounced back to take a 2-1 lead on a short-handed tally by Blake Gal 8:36 into the first period and Stefan Ulmer’s power-play goal at the 17:18 mark.
Dominik Uher netted the Chiefs’ final goal – a power-play score with 2:01 left in the third period.