Nathan Pilling scores four goals, Spokane Chiefs fall to Seattle 6-3

There’s been a bug going through the Spokane Chiefs room this week – even coach Brad Lauer missed a game with the illness on Wednesday. Whether that, or playing their third game in four days, had anything do to with their performance Saturday is open to debate.

But was isn’t debatable is the result.

Nathan Pilling scored four goals, including an empty-netter with 6 seconds left, and the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Chiefs 6-3 in a Western Hockey League game at the Arena.

The Chiefs fall seven points behind U.S. Division- and Western Conference-leading Everett with seven games to go in the regular season – two with the Silvertips. Everett beat Vancouver at home 4-2.

The Chiefs (41-18-1-1) fought back from a 3-1 deficit for a tie late in the second period, only to immediately allow back-to-back goals within 45 seconds to end the period again in a two-goal deficit.

Brody Gillespie put the Chiefs on the board first, barely five minutes into the game, with his seventh goal of the season and second in consecutive games.

“His speed has gotten a lot better,” Chiefs captain Berkly Catton said of Gillespie. “He’s learning how to play at this speed. He’s beating guys wide all the time and making plays. This was a big weekend for him and he’s definitely taken a step in his development.”

But Pilling scored twice in the span of 1 minute, 19 seconds late in the period and Seattle (24-30-3-1) led 2-1 after one.

Simon Lovsin made it 3-1 at 8:06 of the second period with his seventh of the season.

A few minutes later, Catton took a crossing pass from Andrew Cristall and beat Seattle goalie Grayson Malinoski with a wrist shot from the left circle for his 35th goal of the season.

At 16:23 of the period, defenseman Will McIsaac tied it up, taking a drop pass from Chase Harrington, skating in and beating Malinoski stick side for his fourth goal of the season.

But Brandon Cootes scored 1½ minutes later, and Pilling finished his hat trick in rapid succession and the Chiefs trailed 5-3 entering the third.

“It was a bad period,” Catton said. “(Seattle) just kind of got behind us and when they had a chance to capitalize they capitalized.

“We kind of left our goalie out to dry there.”

The Chiefs had two power-play opportunities in the third but could not cash in.

Spokane outshot Seattle 44-27. Goalie Carter Esler made 21 saves.

The Chiefs are off until Friday when they play the first of back-to-back games at Victoria.