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Spokane Chiefs

Gavin Burcar scores in regulation, shootout; Spokane Chiefs edge Edmonton 3-2 to close road trip

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

BOX SCOREEDMONTON, Alberta – Carter Esler stopped all three shots in a shootout and the Spokane Chiefs beat the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 in the finale of a season-high six-game road trip at Rogers Place on Tuesday.

Esler made 23 saves in regulation and overtime while Gavin Burcar scored in regulation and the shootout. The Chiefs (7-5-0-0) went 0 for 4 on the power play and slipped to 3 for 43 (6.9%) for the season, worst in the WHL.

The first period was scoreless and marred by penalties, with the Chiefs going 0 for 3 with the man-advantage, and ended with a fight between Spokane’s Sam Oremba and Edmonton’s Luke Powell.

The Chiefs wasted yet another power play opportunity midway though the second period.

It stayed scoreless until 4:11 left in the second. An Edmonton defender tried to go cross-ice with a clearing attempt, but it was picked off by Burcar. He gave Oil Kings goalie Ethan Simcoe a head fake and roofed a backhander for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.

Moments later Edmonton (9-3-0-1) picked up its second power play of the game with Chase Harrington sent off for holding but the Chiefs killed it off without incident. Harrington was called for interference early in the third, but again the Chiefs were able to navigate playing short-handed to retain the one-goal lead.

With 11:12 left in the third, the Oil Kings failed to exit their zone clearly and Chiefs defenseman Owen Schoettler collected a loose puck near the blueline and sent it to Harrington, alone on the far post. Harrington settled the puck and flipped it past Simcoe for his fourth goal of the season to make it 2-0.

Edmonton finally got one past Esler with 5:27 left in the game, with defenseman Blake Fiddler scoring from long range through a screen for his first of the season.

With 3:05 left Esler was knocked down on a loose puck and was evaluated by a trainer but stayed in the game. Edmonton pulled its goalie for an extra skater with 2 minutes to go and made good, as Max Curran’s shot bounced off Andrew O’Neill and past Esler to it it with 1:41 left.

The Chiefs host U.S. Division-leading Everett (9-0-1-0) on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at the Arena.