Chiefs net four unanswered goals to rout Kelowna Rockets 6-2

After dismantling the Kelowna Rockets 6-2 in front of 4,519 fans at the Spokane Arena, the Spokane Chiefs have a lot to be thankful for.

Scoring depth would be one thing. The Chiefs got goals from six different players, and 13 players had at least one point.

Stellar defense would be another. The Chiefs held the Rockets to just 20 shots on net and it wasn’t just the defenseman denying Kelowna chances. The Chiefs forwards blocked shots and clogged the shooting lanes as well, making goaltender Dawson Weatherill’s night relatively comfortable, all things considered.

An offensive attack would be third. The Chiefs put 46 shots on net – the second game in a row in which they unleashed more than 40 shots.

“Getting pucks to the net is one thing, but also getting bodies there (is important),” head coach Dan Lambert said. “I thought we scored a few goals because we had bodies at the net and at the end of the day that’s how you’re going to score some ugly goals at times. We needed to do more of that at home.”

Three of the Chiefs’ six goals were a direct result of getting someone to the net.

Ethan McIndoe broke a 2-2 tie in the second period when he put in a rebound on the doorstep. Eli Zummack camped in front of Kelowna goaltender James Porter – a Bonners Ferry, Idaho native – and tipped in a Tyson Helgesen shot from the point with just 1.7 seconds left in the period.

“I saw it the whole way and tried to get a stick on it and luckily it went in,” Zummack said.

Milos Fafrak got his first career goal by putting in his own rebound at the 16:16 mark of the third period. Fafrak’s goal gave the Chiefs commanding 5-2 lead.

Zach Fischer opened the scoring almost four minutes into the first period. Hudson Elynuik won a faceoff and the puck came to Fischer, who skated in and put it past Porter.

Filip Kral scored a shorthanded goal at the 15:20 mark of the first period off a nice cross-ice feed from Kailer Yamamoto to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead.

The Rockets tied the game with two quick goals in the second period. The Chiefs had just killed two consecutive penalties before Conner Bruggen-Cate put in a rebound past Weatherill.

Just sixteen seconds later, Carsen Twarynski tied it.

“We just had to keep playing our game,” Jake McGrew said of his team’s mindset after the two quick goals. “You can’t dwell on the past. We had to move forward.”

Move forward they did. McIndoe got his goal a little more than six minutes later. It turned out to be the game-winner.

Riley Woods pitched in as well, scoring a late goal with 2.1 seconds to go to increase Spokane’s lead.

McGrew got into his first fight of his career in the third period. He tussled with Gordie Ballhorn behind the Kelowna net before the two dropped the mitts.

Ballhorn has 14 pounds and three inches on McGrew.

“He was giving it to me on the way into the zone and then he hit me behind the net and said, ‘you wanna go?’ and I said, ‘sure’,” McGrew said. “That guy’s a tough guy too. I didn’t really know who he was but I held my own.”

The Chiefs sit in third place in the U.S. Division and move to 12-8-1-2. They have 27 points – one point behind the Tri-City Americans, who fell Wednesday to the Everett Silvertips 3-0. The Chiefs travel to Everett for a game Friday before coming back home Saturday to face the Regina Pats.