Spokane Chiefs open two-goal lead, allow five straight in 6-3 loss to Prince George in Game 1 | WHL playoffs

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – The Prince George Cougars finished eight wins and 16 points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs, sweeping the four games between the two teams in the regular season. But when the Western Hockey League playoffs start, the records reset to 0-0.

The Chiefs held a 3-1 lead after one period, but spent most of the second killing penalties. They eventually coughed up the lead after a barrage of shots and never recovered, allowing five unanswered goals in the second and third periods.

Brock Souch broke a 3-3 tie on one of Prince George’s three power -play goals just 1 minute, 26 seconds into the third period and the Chiefs fell to the Cougars 6-3 in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series at CN Centre on Friday.

Game 2 is Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Chiefs were on the penalty kill for 13 minutes of the second and were outshot 22-3 in the period – 47-22 over 60 minutes. A total of 59 penalty minutes were issued in the game.

Prince George forced Chiefs goalie Carter Esler into a tremendous glove save within the first eight seconds of the game. But Esler couldn’t get the next one, when Aiden Foster scored 51 seconds into the game on a long rebound.

Just 29 seconds later, the Chiefs won an offensive draw and Sam Oremba’s shot deflected off Cougars goalie Joshua Ravensbergen right to Assanali Sarkenov in the crease, who banged it in to even the score at 1-1 just 1 minute, 20 seconds in.

The Chiefs earned the first power play a few minutes later when PG forward Kooper Gizowski played the puck with a broken stick. It took 14 seconds to convert, as Owen Martin scored on a backhand rebound of a Tyus Sparks shot to make it 2-1 at 8:06 of the first.

Ossie McIntyre took an elbowing penalty, giving PG a power -play opportunity with 7:01 left in the first, but Foster was sent off for roughing with 15 seconds left in the advantage. The Chiefs didn’t score on the shortened power play, but made good just four seconds after it expired as Oremba picked up a loose puck, circled behind the net and whipped the puck past Ravensbergen to make it 3-1.

It was all Prince George from there.

With 38 seconds left in the first period Brody Gillespie delivered a heavy hit in front of the Chiefs bench to Carson Carels, who had to be helped off the ice, and was assessed a four-minute penalty for boarding.

The second period resumed with PG on the extended power play. The Chiefs killed the first part of the double minor off, but Arsenii Anisimov’s heavy slap shot from the center point went through a screen and behind Esler to bring PG within one at 3-2.

With 10:35 left in the second, Sarkenov delivered a high hit to Tyrone Sobry in the middle of the ice but no initial call was made. At the whistle the refs came together and assessed a five-minute checking to the head major and game misconduct to Sarkenov.

The Chiefs killed off the first three minutes of the major penalty, but PG’s leading scorer Terik Parascak controlled a rebound and stuffed it behind Esler to tie it with 6:29 left in the period.

With 58 seconds left in the second, Sparks was tripped into the end boards earning the Chiefs a late power play. But Coco Armstrong issued a cross-check after the horn, negating the power play carrying over to the third.

When play resumed, Souch broke the tie with a rebound goal on the power play while Esler was on his backside after making an initial save.

Prince George added an insurance goal when Souch kicked one in with his right skate and 8:19on the clock. The officials initially waived the goal off, but after review allowed it to stand.

Bauer Dumanski made it a half-dozen a little later, trickling a long shot through Esler with a little more than six minutes remaining.