Owen Martin scores twice, goalie Carter Esler perfect; Spokane Chiefs blank Seattle 4-0 | WHL hockey

The Spokane Chiefs entered play on Friday with an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot – if they got a little help. They emphatically took care of their part of the equation but didn’t get the help they needed, delaying a clinching celebration at least one more game.

Owen Martin scored two goals and the Spokane Chiefs beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-0 in a Western Hockey League U.S. Division game at the Arena on Friday.

Goalie Carter Esler recorded his league-leading fifth shutout of the season with 20 saves.

Ninth-place Victoria downed last-place Vancouver 5-2, blocking the Chiefs from clinching the postseason. Spokane travels to face archrival Tri-City on Saturday. Spokane is six points clear of Victoria with four games to play.

The Chiefs (34-29-1-0) entered play winners in seven of their last 10 games, solidifying a hold on sixth place in the Western Conference. They retained that spot with the win, and find themselves just a point behind Kamloops in fifth place after the Blazers 4-1 loss to Kamloops.

The Chiefs led 1-0 after two periods of playoff-intensity defensive hockey, but they broke the game open in the third with a quick but decisive flurry.

Just 25 seconds into the third, 20-year-old winger Sam Oremba brought the puck down the left wing boards and fed Coco Armstrong out front for his 23rd goal of the season.

And 14 seconds later Logan Wormald gained the zone and left it for Tyus Sparks, who found Martin in the slot for a one-timer for his second goal of the game to make it 3-0.

Brody Gillespie got into the act at 5:36 of the period. He cut across the ice to put the puck on his forehand and snapped a wrist shot on net, which was tipped by Gavin Burcar along the way for his sixth goal of the season.

It was tough sledding offensively for both teams through two periods.

The Chiefs killed an early penalty to Chase Harrington, who was sent off for goalie interference at 4:23 of the first. Armstrong and Seattle’s Brayden Holberton – second in the league in penalty minutes – were sent off with roughing minors with three minutes to go in the first.

The teams played 4-on-4 early in the second, and the Chiefs had 56 seconds of power play go by the wayside.

It stayed scoreless until 10:54 of the second. On their first full power play of the game, the Chiefs worked the puck around the horn to Sparks on the left wing. He whipped a shot that was tipped by Martin past Thunderbirds goalie Grayson Malinoski for his 23rd goal of the season.

Seventh-place Seattle fell to 27-27-5-1.