Chiefs roll to 7th straight

The Spokane Chiefs scored early and often, rolling to a 6-1 win over the Victoria Royals in a Western Hockey League game Wednesday night, completing a perfect seven game homestand.

However, it was the first time since that first game the Chiefs scored first and didn’t have to come from behind in the second period or later, including three-straight third-period wins.

This time Mitch Holmberg, with his fourth goal, and Marek Kalus, his third, scored 34 seconds apart before the game was four minutes old. Later in the period  Dominik Uher got his fifth and Connor Chartier his first 40 seconds apart to close out the first period to make it 4-1.

That all but assured the Chiefs of an 8-0 start at home this season, the second-best such streak in team history. Spokane started 10-0 at home a decade ago.

3 stars: 3, Brenden Kichton (2 assists). 2, Mike Aviani (2 assists). 1, Marek Kalus (2 goals)

Long box below

Chiefs 6, Royals 1

SPOKANE – Wednesday

First period

1, Spo, Holmberg 4 (Kramer, Kichton) 2:47.

2, Spo, Kalus 3 (Aviani, Hauptman) 3:21.

3, Vic, Hodges 6 (Nelson, Cote) 10:28.

4, Spo, Uher 5 (Baldwin, Kuhn) 15:21.

5, Spo, Chartier 1 (Kichton) 16:01.

Penalties – Victoria (too many men, served by Popoff) :36; Baldwin, Spo (holding) 8:25; Vic, Soudek, Vic (check to the head) 13:07; Sundher, Vic (roughing), Kramer, Spo (roughing) 20:00.

Second period

6, Spo, Kalus 4 (Aviani, Hauptman) 7:06.

Penalties – Kanzig, Vic (fighting major), Kramer (fighting major) 9:37; Mort, Spo (interference) 19:05.

Third period

7, Spo, Valcourt 3 (Bardaro, Gow) 14:53.

Penalties – Kalus, Spo (goaltender interference) 2:54; Popoff, Vic (boarding) 8:30; Zgraggen, Vic (fighting major), Uher, Spo (fighting major) 12:33; Soudek, Vic (fighting major), Mort, Spo (fighting major) 17:20; Magee, Vic (fighting major), Valcourt, Spo (fighting major, inteference, served by Gow) 18:08.

Shots on goal by
Victoria  5-5-3_13

Spokane  13-11-9_33

Goal (shots-saves) — Victoria: Rathjen (L, 0-1-0-0) 33-26. Spokane: Engel (W, 7-2-0-0) 13-12.

Power plays (goals-chances) — Victoria 0-3, Spokane 0-3.

Referees — Pat Smith. Linesmen — Jeremi Del Campo, Anthony Guzzo.

Attendance – 3,628.

Scratches – Victoria: Zach Habscheid, Tyler Stahl, Brendan Persley, Taylor Crunk, Jesse Pauls, Joe Hicketts. Spokane: Cole Hamblin, Tyler King, Cole Wedman, Cody Nelson.