Chiefs take 3-2 win & series lead

Blake Gal stepped out of the penalty box and into Spokane Chiefs’ lore, scoring 4:57 into overtime to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 win and 3-2 series lead over the Tri-City Americans Sunday night.

Game 6 is in Spokane Tuesday night with Game 7, if necessary, on Wednesday.

Seconds after a James Reid glove save saved the Chiefs, the Chiefs broke out and Dominik Uher found Gal down the left wall, where he snapped off a shot that gave them command of the series.

3 stars: 3, Patrick Holland, tC; 2, Jared Cowen, Spo, 1, James Reid, Spo.

Long box below.

Chiefs 3, Americans 2, OT

Spokane – Sunday

First period

1, Spo, Cowen 1 (Johnson) :27.

Penalties – Kramer, Spo (checking from behind) 10:45.

Second period

2, Spo, Marantz 2 (Gal, Kuhn) 4:32.

Penalties – Marantz, Spo (holding opponents stick) 15:59.

Third period

3, TC, Schmidt 2 (Rankin, Holland) 3:24.

4, TC, Ashton 3 (Reddick, Holland) 18:59.

Penalties – Miller, Spo (interference) 4:59; Cowen, Spo (cross checking), Shinniman, TC (unsportsmanlike diving), 6:24; Schmidt, TC (delay of game) 19:09.

First overtime

5, Spo, Gal 6 (Uher, Vandane) 4:57.

Penalties – Gal, Spo (high sticking) 2:46.

Shots on goal by
Spokane     14-14-9-6_43

Tri-City     12-10-12-1_35

Goal (shots-saves) — Spokane: Reid (W 7-3-0) 35-33, Tri-City: Owsley (L, 6-3-0) 43-40.

Power plays (goals-chances) — Spokane 0-1, Tri-City 0-4.

Referees — Matt Kirk, Andy Thiessen. Linesmen — Chris Carlson, Jason Michelbook.

Attendance – 4,014.

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