Backup goalie Lasse Petersen registers shutout in first game with Chiefs

After nearly a month on the road, it took a while for the Spokane Chiefs to find themselves Wednesday night, but they used two power-play goals to boost them to a 3-0 win over the Everett Silvertips.

The Chiefs (9-7-2-1) turned to backup goalie Lasse Petersen, whom they picked up off waivers on Nov. 5, and he stoned the Silvertips at every turn.

“He played great,” coach Don Nachbaur said of Peterson. “We wanted to give him the opportunity and he did really well. He looked pretty confident tonight.”

Everett’s Carter Hart was nearly as good. After a scoreless first period in which the Silvertips (8-5-0-1) outshot the Chiefs 11-3, the teams went 16 minutes into the second period before Curtis Miske came free in front of the Everett net during a power play.

Miske slammed the puck home for his fourth goal to give the Chiefs the lead they never relinquished. Assists were awarded to Jason Fram and Kailer Yamamoto.

“In the first and second periods, they outworked us,” Nachbaur said. “It was our first home game in almost a month. The guys didn’t have the right mindset for the first 40 minutes.”

The third period has been the Chiefs’ downfall this season. Spokane had been outscored 23-14 coming into the game.

But the Chiefs turned it on this time, outshooting the Silvertips 17-6 in the final period.

At the 12:10 mark during another power play, left wing Kolten Olynek raced toward the Everett goal and lifted the puck over Hart’s right shoulder to make it 2-0 Spokane. Assists were given to Nik Anderson and Fram.

“I saw an open spot and I hit it,” said Olynek, who pounded the glass after his shot. “That was just emotion after a big shot like that.”

The Silvertips are the reigning U.S. Division champs and Olynek said the team hadn’t forgotten that.

“We had a little chip on our shoulder after last year,” he said. “We just wanted to show them what kind of team we had and what kind of team we want to be.”

Late in the third period, Kailer Yamamoto added an empty-net goal after the Silvertips pulled Hart. Assists were awarded to his brother, Keanu Yamamoto, and Evan Fiala.

The win gave Peterson a 24-save shutout in his first game played as a goalie for the Chiefs.

“It was a nice confidence booster,” said Petersen, who played seven games for Calgary. “In my case, it doesn’t happen that often. But I’ll take it.”