Luke Toporowski, Logan Stankoven send Chiefs to brink of playoff exit with 5-1 Game 3 win

From staff reports

Logan Stankoven scored once and added a pair of assists as Kamloops sent Spokane to the brink of a postseason exit with a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of their Western Hockey League playoff first-round series Monday at Sandman Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The second-seeded Blazers now hold a commanding 3-0 series lead over the seventh-seeded Chiefs.

Kamloops also got a goal and an assist from former Spokane star forward Luke Toporowski, who was traded to the Blazers in January. Toporowski appeared in 223 games over five seasons for the Chiefs, notching 76 goals and 89 assists.

He has scored five times through the first three games of the series, with Monday’s goal coming at 2:55 in the opening period.

Spokane was without starting goalie Mason Beaupit, who suffered an injury in the Game 2 loss on Saturday.

Backup Cooper Michaluk finished with 34 saves on 39 shots.

Kamloops goalie Dylan Garand had 25 saves.

Erik Atchison scored the lone goal for Spokane at 14:33 in the second period on a Raegan Wiles assist. The Blazers outshot Spokane 39-26, while also going 2-5 on the power play. Spokane finished 0-6 in the power play.

The series now shifts to Spokane where the Chiefs will try and avoid elimination, starting with Game 4 Friday night at the Arena.