WHL Playoffs: Rasmus Ekström scores hat trick, Spokane Chiefs build big lead, outlast Victoria 9-6 in Game 4

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Spokane Chiefs had not held a lead during play against the Victoria Royals in any of the first three games of their Western Hockey League Western Conference semifinal series.

In fact, they had allowed the first goal of the game in seven of their first eight playoff games.

Both situations changed in a big way in Game 4, but the final wasn’t as easy as it could have been.

The Chiefs scored the first five goals of the game – all in the first period, Rasmus Ekström recorded a hat trick, and Spokane evened the best-of-seven series with the Royals at two games apiece with a 9-6 win in Game 4 at Memorial Arena on Friday.

Game 5 is Saturday at 6:05 p.m. in Victoria.

Spokane led 7-2 entering the third period but gave up four goals on six shots .

Overall, the Chiefs outshot Victoria 46-18. Both teams went 3 for 6 on the power play.

Spokane forward Coco Armstrong was whistled for high-sticking 1:58 into the game, but the Chiefs killed the penalty and maybe gained some momentum.

A few minutes after the kill, Brayden Crampton’s shot from the point was blocked – but it went straight to Nathan Mayes at the other point. Mayes settled the puck, then his long-distance wrist shot slipped past Royals goalie Johnny Hicks for his first goal of the postseason.

The Chiefs made it 2-0 a bit later when Owen Martin deflected a shot-pass from Assanali Sarkenov past Hicks. Mathis Preston added his fifth of the playoffs less than a minute later, scoring on a second attempt from close in.

Less than two minutes later, Crampton’s blast from the point off a face-off win was tipped by Rasmus Ekström and beat Hicks glove side to make it 4-0.

Andrew Cristall took a pass in the slot from Shea Van Olm and beat Hicks stick side for his 11th goal of the postseason with 4:15 left in the period.

The Chiefs outshot Victoria 20-4 in the first period.

The Royals got on the board midway through the second period with a power-play goal by Teydon Trembecky, his seventh of the playoffs, off an assist by Cole Reschny.

Victoria winger Nolan Stewart was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking, and the Chiefs converted on both, with Ekström scoring twice within 18 seconds to make it 7-1.

Victoria got one back with 11 seconds remaining in the second on Caleb Matthews’ breakaway goal.

The fast-paced scoring continued in the third period.

Victoria’s Hayden Moore scored a short-handed goal 2:18 into the third, but Preston answered on the power play 48 seconds later. Brandon Lisowsky and Trembecky scored just more than two minutes apart to make it 8-5, but Cristall hit Berkly Catton with a backhand pass and the Chiefs’ captain buried it for his sixth goal of the playoffs.

But Cristall was called for unsportsmanlike conduct during a stoppage in play, and Victoria made the Chiefs pay as Reschny scored his eighth of the playoffs with 4:19 left .