Newcomer Tyus Sparks scores go-ahead goal in third, Spokane Chiefs drop Victoria 3-1

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria Royals are currently blocking the Spokane Chiefs’ path to the playoffs in the Western Conference, with a tenuous hold on eighth place in the standings.

After a 2-1 loss on the road to the Royals on Friday, which gave Victoria a four-point cushion over the Chiefs, the two teams met up again at Victoria’s Memorial Arena on Saturday.

This time the visitors emerged victorious, further tightening the race for the last playoff spot. There are eight teams within nine points of each other battling for the bottom five positions.

Recently acquired Tyus Sparks scored the go-ahead goal in the third, Linus Vieillard made 26 saves and the Chiefs edged the Royals 3-1 in a Western Hockey League tilt.

In a second consecutive tight-checking game, the teams were tied 1-1 midway through the third period. The Chiefs (20-20-0-0, 40 points) applied pressure in the offensive zone and the puck eventually made it to Rhett Sather at the point.

The defenseman’s blast went wide, but it rebounded hard off the end wall right to Sparks, playing in his first game with the Chiefs after Monday’s trade that sent Mathis Preston to Vancouver.

Sparks, alone at the bottom of the face-off circle, banged home the carom for his 17th goal of the season and first with the Chiefs.

Victoria (17-14-5-3, 42 points) pulled goalie Ethan Eskit for an extra skater with 2:15 to go, but Dominik Petr scored his second goal of the night into the empty net with 89 seconds left to clinch it.

It didn’t start off great for the Chiefs, as Victoria scored 2 minutes, 30 seconds into the game when Ashton Brown beat Vieillard for his eighth goal of the season.

It stayed that way until 9:53 of the second, when the Chiefs much-maligned power play came through. Petr coaxed a wrist shot from the left-wing circle through a screen and past Eskit for his 10th goal of the season.

The Chiefs were assessed a pair of penalties in quick succession at the end of the second, and were left with 1:20 of 3-on-5 at the start of the third. But the Chiefs penalty killers got the job done, allowing just one shot on goal during the infractions. Spokane finished 6-for-6 on the kill and 1-for-4 on the power play. They outshot Victoria overall 36-27.

The Chiefs are off until Friday, when they conclude a three-game road trip at conference-leading Everett.