Chiefs fall in overtime

Brendan Leipsic socred at7:44 of overtime to lift Portland to a 3-2 win over the Spokane Chiefs at the Arena Wednesday night.

For the third straight game to open the WHL’s Western Conference finals the Spokane Chiefs and Portland Winterhawks put on a tense show, with plenty of big saves, like James Reid stopping Ty Rattie in the first period (above).

Game 4 is here Friday with Game 5 back in Portland on Saturday.

Ryan Johansen forced the overtime by scoring with 2:14 left in regulation, his third straight game with a goal and ninth of the playoffs. Levko Koper’s goal at 8:40 of the third period had put the Chiefs on top.

The Chiefs made it difficult by going 0-9 on the power play, while Portland was just 0-2.

Spokane scored first with Jared Cowen squeezing a shot past Mac Carruth at 15:07 of the first period but that only lasted 66 seconds before a defensive miscue gave Taylor Peters a breakaway for a short-handed goal.

3 stars: 3, Taylor Peters. 2, Jared Cowen. 1, Brendan Leipsac

Winterhawks 3, Spokane 2

Spokane – Wednesday

First period

1, Spo, Cowen 2 (Johnson, Kichton) 15:07.

2, Por, Peters 2, 16:13, sh.

Penalties – Boychuk, Por (cross checking), Kramer, Spo (high sticking) 3:35; Rattie, Por (hooking) 4:24; Rutkowski, Por (high sticking) 10:27; Niederreiter, Por (tripping) 16:04; Boychuk, Por (slashing) 20:00.

Second period

No one.

Penalties – Kramer, Spo (roughing) 2:38; Wrenn, Por (roughing) 7:53; Wotherspoon, Por (high sticking) 9:32; Kramer, Spo (roughing) 11:48; Bartschi, Por (holding) 12:54; Baldwin, Spo (hooking, penalty shot) 16:58; Niederreiter, Por (cross checking) 18:19; Cunningham, Port (slashing) 20:00.

Penalty shot – Bartschi, Por, 16:58 2 ^nd , fail.

Third period

3, Spo, Koper 5 (Cowen, Kichton) 8:40.

4, Por, Johansen 9 (Niederreiter, Bartschi) 17:46.

Penalties – Morrow, Por (double roughing), Miller, Spok (double roughing) 5:49; Ross, Port (roughing), Uher, Spo (roughing) 8:05.

First overtime

5, Por, Leipsic 2 (Peters) 7:44.

Penalties – None.

Shots on goal by
Portland     10-6-14-2_43

Spokane     17-14-9-3_32

Goal (shots-saves) — Portland: Carruth (W, 10-2-1) 43-41; Spokane: Reid (L, 9-5-0) 32-29.

Power plays (goals-chances) — Portland 0-2, Spokane 0-9.

Referees — Reagan Vetter, Nathan Wieler. Linesmen — Trent Knorr, Chris Sweeting.

Attendance – 5,542.

Scratches – Portland: Josh Hanson, Brett Ponich, Chase De Leo, Oliver Gabriel, Pearce Eviston, Seth Swenson, Brendan Burke, Jason Trott. Spokane: Cole Hamblin, Marek Kalus, Reid Gow, Mitch Holmberg.