Chiefs dominate play but lose to Kamloops in shootout

Hockey can be a cruel game at times. The Spokane Chiefs experienced that in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Kamloops Blazers Friday night.

The Chiefs peppered Kamloops goaltender Dylan Ferguson with 42 shots and dominated zone-time but could only come away with two goals.

The Chiefs also had glorious chance after glorious chance in overtime but could not cash in. Jaret Anderson-Dolan appeared to end the game, but officials waved off the goal because of incidental contact to the goalie by Hudson Elynuik.

Ferguson stopped Riley Woods and Filip Kral in the shootout, while Chiefs goaltender Dawson Weatherill allowed shootout goals to Connor Zary and Garrett Pilon.

Chiefs head coach Dan Lambert lauded his team’s effort.

“I truly believe that if we play like that for 65 minutes, we’re going to win some hockey games,” he said. “It was unfortunate. I think we hit four posts and (Ferguson) played extremely well. We had opportunities to put it away, we just didn’t.”

The Chiefs hit a post and a crossbar, and that was just in overtime.

The Blazers got on the board 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the game when Jermaine Loewen poked a dribbler past Weatherill on the power play.

The Chiefs got a power-play goal from Nolan Reid in the second period – his third goal of the season and second in as many games. The Chiefs took the lead at the midway part of the second period when Kral scored his second of the season with a snipe from the point.

Things could have gone sideways late in the second period when Luc Smith crosschecked Elynuik hard into the boards. Chiefs defenseman and captain Tyson Helgesen made Smith pay and the two dropped the mitts.

Elynuik didn’t return for the rest of the period but did come back for the final frame.

The Chiefs ended up with a man advantage after the fracas but could not score.

Emotions ran high again when Joe Gatenby tied the game after Weatherill was caught on his stomach. Spokane’s Riley McKay and Kamloops’ Tylor Ludwar then dropped the gloves immediately following the goal.

Both teams found themselves down key players for an extended period of time.

Lambert didn’t think that sequence hurt the team, though. Instead, it was a few brief moments in the second period.

“I thought our power play in the second period went a little south,” he said. “Our passes weren’t as crisp as they need to be, which might have turned (the game) a little bit.”

The Chiefs were just 1 for 7 on the power play.

The contest was the first game in Spokane for Zach Fischer, acquired Thursday night from the Medicine Hat Tigers. Fischer brings athleticism, skill and veteran experience as a 20-year-old.

Fischer didn’t record any stats other than two shots on net, but his presence was definitely felt, and he was eager to get back on the ice.

“I was skating in my time off back home, but I was anxious,” Fischer said. “I was real excited when I got the news last night. Coming in I was a little nervous. … I want to make a good impression. I went out there and did my job and didn’t think too much.”

The Chiefs head out on their annual road trip to the Eastern Conference. They play the Edmonton Oil Kings Sunday and have visits to Calgary, Medicine Hat and Red Deer next week.