Goalie Carter Esler shines again, Spokane Chiefs hold off Seattle 2-1 in first of six-game road trip

SEATTLE – The Spokane Chiefs and Seattle Thunderbirds came into Saturday’s game fatigued, with both teams having to travel after winning games on Friday.

The Chiefs (3-3-0-0) blanked winless Wenatchee 4-0 at home, while Seattle (3-3-0-0) took down Kelowna 3-1 on the road.

For the second night in a row, the best player on the ice for the Chiefs was their goalie.

Carter Esler made 20 saves, and the Chiefs held off the Thunderbirds 2-1 in the first game of a season-longest six-game Western Hockey League road trip.

After his second shutout of the season on Friday, Esler drew the assignment for the second of the back-to-back games and was none the worse for wear. The 17-year-old goalie wasn’t tested early, as Seattle got a total of 10 shots in the first two periods.

He saved his best for last though, making 11 in the third period – three coming in the final 2 minutes as the T-birds skated 6-on-5.

The first period was full of penalties, but both teams failed to score on any of the ensuing power plays – several of which were truncated by another infraction. The Chiefs outshot their hosts 11-6 through the first 20 minutes but went 0 for 3 on the power play.

Spokane entered play next-to-last in the WHL with the man advantage at just 8.7% (2 for 23).

It stayed scoreless until 8:57 left in the second period. Skating 4-on-4, defenseman Nathan Mayes carried into the T-birds zone on the right wing and sent a backhanded pass through the slot to Mathis Preston, who knocked it past Seattle goalie Grayson Malinoski for his sixth goal of the season and Mayes’ first point.

They added to the lead with 51 seconds left in the frame, finally making good on the power play. Assanali Sarkenov stole the puck in the offensive zone and fed Ethan Hughes on the far post, who banged it in for his first goal of the season – and first with Spokane after playing parts of the last three seasons with Moose Jaw.

Seattle got a gift midway through the third. Defenseman Harry Mattern whiffed on an exit pass, and Seattle forward Brayden Holbertson snapped up the loose puck and beat an unsuspecting Esler for his first goal of the season to make it 2-1.

The Thunderbirds were awarded a power play with 6:37 remaining after Mayes was called for slashing, but Esler made a big glove save with 10 seconds left and the Chiefs killed the penalty.

Seattle pulled Malinoski for an extra skater with 2 minutes to go. Esler made a sliding save on Coster Dunn with 35 seconds left, and the Chiefs held on for the win.

There were 16 minor penalties called in the game.

The Chiefs travel on Tuesday to Medicine Hat to start a five-game swing through the province of Alberta .