Road-weary Chiefs no match for Prince Albert Raiders

PRINCE ALBERT, Saskatchewan – The good news on Saturday night: The Spokane Chiefs outscored the Canadian Hockey League’s No. 1 team 2-1 in the second period.

The bad news: The Prince Albert Raiders shut out the Chiefs 4-0 in the first period and 3-0 in the third, ending Spokane’s longest road trip of the season on a losing note in a 8-2 Western Hockey League defeat at the Art Hauser Centre.

Defenseman Nolan Reid, unassisted on the power play, and center Eric Atchison, assisted from Reid and Michael King, scored their first goals of the season in an 8-minute, 10-second span midway through the second, cutting Prince Albert’s lead to 5-2. But Spokane (6-3-1-2, 15 points), the first-place team in the U.S. Division, could get no closer.

Chiefs center Ty Smith failed to register a goal or assist and saw his points streak end at nine games.

Spokane went 1 for 5 on the power play, while Prince Albert was 2 for 7.

Chiefs goalie Dawson Weatherill faced 38 shots. Raiders netminder Ian Scott turned away 32 of Spokane’s 34 shots.

Jakob Brook and Noah Gregor scored two goals apiece and Sean Montgomery added a goal and two assists for the Raiders. Prince Albert (11-1-0-0) leads the East Division with 22 points.

The Chiefs return home from their six-game, nine-day trek through Saskatchewan and Manitoba – which saw them go 3-3, with a loss in overtime – for a well-deserved rest before facing division rival Portland on Friday night at 7:05 at the Arena. They host Tri-City the next night, the second of a five-game homestand.