Chiefs open trip with loss
Reid’s strong game can’t avert defeat
MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan – Forty saves were enough to earn James Reid the game’s No. 1 star. They weren’t enough to get the Spokane Chiefs a victory.
Moose Jaw unleashed 43 shots on the Spokane goalkeeper in pulling out a 3-2 Western Hockey League victory Friday night in the Civic Centre.
“It obviously wasn’t the start we were looking for,” Chiefs assistant coach Jon Klemm said of the first game of a six-game Eastern Division swing.
“They came out hard at us and we didn’t respond very well. We didn’t win a lot of battles at either end of the ice,” Klemm added.
“James Reid gave us a chance at the end to win that hockey game. It was just one of those games we weren’t ready to play. It’s a learning experience.”
Spokane (5-7-0-0) got off 23 shots, but more than half (12) came in the third period, and Warriors goalie Thomas Heemskerk allowed just one to get past.
That was the fifth goal of the season for Levko Koper on a power play 5:54 into the period that drew the Chiefs even at 2.
All three Moose Jaw (6-8-0-1) goals came off Spokane turnovers in the Chiefs’ defensive end or failures to clear the puck.
Defenseman Connor Cox scored the winner with less than 5 minutes to play when he drifted a shot from the left point that deflected past Reid.
Dillon Hood got Moose Jaw going when he slipped a shot through Reid’s pads 6:39 into the first period after the Chiefs failed to clear the puck from their own end.
Anthony Bardaro drew the Chiefs even 2:05 into the second period with his third goal in as many games. Bardaro finished off a give-and-go with Brady Brassart shortly after the Chiefs killed off the first of four Moose Jaw power plays they’d snuff during the night.
Less than 10 minutes later, Danny Gayle beat Reid for a 2-1 lead.