Road woes return for Spokane Chiefs

CALGARY, Alberta – All good things, it’s said, must come to an end. But after just one win?

Yep. At least for the Spokane Chiefs.

Continuing to experience offensive shortcomings on the road, the Chiefs dropped a 3-2 Western Hockey League overtime decision to the Calgary Hitmen on Friday, two nights after earning their first road victory of the season in nine tries in Red Deer.

Spokane collected a point for getting the game to OT, but has just six points in 10 road outings compared to 22 points in 13 home games.

Victor Rask scored the first and last goals of the game for Calgary to spoil a solid outing for Spokane’s normal backup goalie, Luke Lee-Knight.

Rask, who converted a rebound of his shot to get Calgary on the board 8:16 into the game, took the puck off Lee-Knight behind the net when the Chiefs appeared to have a communication breakdown trying to clear and tucked the puck into the net for the winner 2:36 into the extra period. It was his team-leading 15th goal.

Lee-Knight had to come up with big save after big save the first two periods to keep the Chiefs from getting blown out as Spokane was outshot 20-9 the first 40 minutes.

But the Chiefs grasped the momentum in the third. They got off the first seven shots of the period, getting goals from Brenden Kichton on the power play and Darren Kramer 2:19 apart to tie it at 2. It was the second goal in as many games for each of them.