Chiefs fall in second OT

Tyler Schmidt’s shot from the point 2:32 into the second overtime made it through a crowd in front of the Spokane goal and gave the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 win over the Chiefs Thursday night in Tri-City.

The Ams evened the best-of-7 Western Hockey League playoff series with the Spokane Chiefs 2-2 by overcoming a 2-0 deficit with a three-goal second period before 3,888 fans  at the Toyota Center.

Game 5 is back here on Sunday with Game 6 in Spokane on Tuesday.

Spokane goalie James Reid prolonged the game with 1:24 left in the first overtime when he stopped Brendan Shinniman on a penalty shot.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Steve Kuhn’s power play goal late in the first period and Tyler Johnson’s short-handed goal early in the second. Three straight goals in the second period and goalie Drew Owsley rescued the Americans.

Patrick Holland scored on the same power play Johnson scored on, then Kruise Reddick and Braden Shinniman connected to put the Ams up 3-2. They out-shot the Chiefs 15-9 in the second period, ending a nine-period stretch of failing to reach double figures.

With the way Owsley played it looked like that may hold up until Johnson scored a power play goal with 7:43 left in regulation.

3 stars: 3, Drew Owsley. 2, Tyler Johnson. 1, Tyler Schmidt.

Long box below. Here is the story.

Americans 4, Chiefs 3 2OT

Spokane – Thursday

First period

1, Spo, Kuhn 5 (Uher) 16:33, pp.

Penalties – Miller, Spo (checking from behind) 6:31; Shinnimin, TC (interference) 6:35; Schmidt, TC (elbowing) 11:27; Valcourt, Spo (tripping) 14:23; Hughesman, TC (goaltender interference) 15:46.

Second period

2, Spo, Johnson 4 (Cowen) 5:16, sh.

3, TC, Holland 2 (Feser, McKenzie) 5:49, pp.

4, TC, Riddick 2 (Sohor, Ashton) 10:58.

5, TC, Shinniman 4 (Hughesman, Sutherland) 16:32.

Penalties – Kuhn, Spo (hooking) 3:52; Bardaro, Spo (high sticking) 7:33; Cowen, Spo (hooking) 11:13.

Third period

6, Spo, Johnson 5 (Cowen, Kichton) 12:17, pp.

Penalties – Grist, TC (elbowing) 8:36; Hughesman, TC (elbowing) 11:40; Koper, Spo (slashing), Reddick, TC (unsportsmanlike conduct-diving) 12:17.

First overtime

No one.

Penalties – Kichton, Spo (hooking, penalty shot), 18:36

Penalty shots – Shinniman (TC) stopped, 1OT-18:36.

Second overtime

7. TC, Schmidt 1 (Shinniman, Yuen) 2:32.

Penalties – None.

Shots on goal by
Spokane     14-9-15-12-0_50

Tri-City     9-15-13-12-1_50

Goal (shots-saves) — Spokane: Reid (L-6-3-0) 50-46, Tri-City: Owsley (W, 6-2-0) 50-47.

Power plays (goals-chances) — Spokane 1-3, Tri-City 0-2.

Referees — Trevor Hanson, Brett Montsion. Linesmen — Trent Knorr, Bevan Mills.

Attendance – 3,888.

Scratches – Tri-City: Clinton Atkinson, Marcus Messier, Brian Williams, Max Moline. Spokane: Cole Hamblin, Marek Kalus, Brady Brassart, Reid Gow.