WHL Playoffs: Spokane Chiefs scoring depth helping fuel run through Western Conference finals

The Spokane Chiefs, sometimes to their coach’s chagrin, are challenging the notion that defense wins championships.

Entering play on Thursday, the Chiefs led the Western Hockey League playoffs in goals with 79, averaging 5.64 per game. But they are allowing 3.92 per game, keeping both teams in just about every game.

For Chiefs coach Brad Lauer, a former NHL defenseman, the rapid-fire offense over the first few games of the series – from both teams – was enough to give him a case of heartburn.

“It’s not easy. It’s not something you want to do,” Lauer said. “I mean, 8-5 games, if you’re on the right side of it, I guess it’s a little bit easier. It just seems like we’ll get a goal and then we’ll give it right back in the next shift or two.”

Led by captain Berkly Catton, Andrew Cristall and Shea Van Olm, the Chiefs were second in goals scored with the top-ranked power play in the regular season in the WHL.

That has carried over to the playoffs. Of the five games league-wide to feature a team with eight goals or more, the Chiefs own four of them, including games of 10 and eight goals against Portland in the Western Conference finals.

Obviously, a lot of that firepower comes from the team’s top line. But the Chiefs have received production up and down the lineup this postseason, helping carry the team to the WHL championship series.

On Wednesday, in Game 3 of the series against Portland, the three top players had a bit of a rough night – with more penalties (three) than goals (one). But several players not known for their goal-scoring prowess chipped in to power the Chiefs to an 8-5 win. In Monday’s Game 1 win, nine Chiefs players scored a goal.

“We can’t just rely on our top three all the time,” Lauer said. “We’ve talked about this all year. We’re not a one-man, one-line team. When our best guys aren’t our best guys, we have other guys that step up in key moments.”

Fourth-line winger Coco Armstrong and defenseman Will McIsaac scored their first career WHL playoff goals, and Chase Harrington, Owen Martin, Nathan Mayes and Assanali Sarkenov added goals.

Sarkenov has been a revelation in this series, scoring five goals in the first three games. The 18-year-old native of Kazakhstan scored just 10 goals in 52 games in the regular season.

“He’s a power forward. You see what he does when he’s using his size and going to those areas – he’s hard to defend,” Lauer said of the 6-foot-4 Sarkenov. “He’s doing that more consistent now, and he’s getting the results.”

Harrington, in addition to his marker in Game 3, scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 2. The former first-round pick sometimes gets overlooked with all the attention on the top three.

“I try to just play my role with the secondary scoring and some penalty kill, trying to shut the other team down,” Harrington said. “We’re all pitching in together. We’re cheering for each other. There’s no selfishness in the room.”

“I want him to shoot the puck more,” Lauer said. “Playoffs bring certain guys out to the forefront, and he’s done a good job for us.”

Armstrong’s third-period goal in Game 3 gave the Chiefs the lead for good after a wild first two periods that never saw the Chiefs trail but consistently saw the Winterhawks answer every time the Chiefs scored. Armstrong’s goal unleashed a three-goal flurry that quieted the raucous Portland crowd.

“No leads seem safe with us right now,” Lauer said. “We’ve got to find ways to shut things down as a group when we start getting leads. But you know, Coco’s goal was huge for us.”

Armstrong plays on the Chiefs’ checking line with Brody Gillespie and Cam Parr. The trio often doesn’t get as many shifts as the other lines – Armstrong had just seven goals in the regular season.

“I just knew (our line) needed a big push on our shift,” Armstrong said. “We don’t get too many minutes, so we just got (the puck) in deep and there was a lucky bounce, and I just finished it there.”

“Key moments of the game in the third period, you have your fourth line on the ice,” Lauer said. “We want to establish a forecheck, and do the things you want them to do, create some energy for our group, and then they score a big goal. That really lifted our bench.”

Mayes scored his first WHL playoff goal in Game 2 and added another in Game 3. On Wednesday, McIsaac added his name to the list of goal-scorers.

“It was just kind of right place at the right time, almost. Just being confident,” McIsaac said. “ ‘Mayeser’ also had a nice rip there too, again. So, happy for both of us.”

“We need contributions from everybody. Your ‘D’ have to be involved in the offense nowadays,” Lauer said. “We encourage our ‘D’ to be involved in the offense at the right times, making the right plays.”