Chiefs Win In Opener

The Spokane Chiefs threw a blanket over the Tri-City Americans for two periods Saturday night, but before they came away with a 6-4 win, their heated rivalry turned typical.

All hell broke loose in the third period.

The Americans erased a 3-2 Spokane lead with a pair of third-period goals 43 seconds apart. But rather than spell the end, it was only the beginning of a wild finish before 5,556 in Tri-City Coliseum.

The Chiefs tied their Western Hockey League opener at 4 on Jared Hope’s goal, a gift from Tri-City goaltender Brian Boucher. Boucher had the puck bounce off his glove in front of the net, where Hope - flying in - policed it up and poked it in at 8:37 of the third period.

Chiefs right wing John Cirjak scored the game-winner at 11:29, winning a faceoff in the Tri-City zone and moving behind the net. Cirjak popped out just below the faceoff circle to Boucher’s right. With the goalie’s attention focused elsewhere, Cirjak took a crossing pass with a lot of open net in front of him.

He buried the shot and sent the Americans down for the last time.

The two clubs played without absent stars. Daymond Langkow and Terry Ryan of the Americans are off with their National Hockey League clubs. Jason Podollan of Spokane is still with the NHL’s Florida Panthers.

The absences contributed to the low shooting totals. Tri-City put only 21 shots on net. Spokane fired 33 times at Boucher.

“They did a good job of tying people up so we couldn’t get the shots,” Tri-City coach Bob Loucks said. “We had three goals scored off shots from the blue line, two of which were tipped. But that’s what you have to do - shoot from anywhere.”

Chiefs goaltender David Lemanowicz said, “I’ve never seen so many tipped shots.”

Reminded that he’s 1-0 as a starter, Lemanowicz said, “Thank God.”

Divine guidance not withstanding, Lemanowicz had his moments.

His first period wasn’t as bad as the numbers suggest. Although two of the five shots he faced went in, the first was a tough chance and the second - Mike Hurley’s goal - was a bad-angle deflection off Hurley’s stick.

“Their first shot goes in and whenever that happens it’s a little nerve-wracking,” Lemanowicz said. “I definitely should have had the first one. The second was lucky - a deflection out in front - and with those you just go with the punches. There’s nothing you can really do about those.”

The Chiefs turned it around in the second period, reducing Tri-City’s scoring opportunities to almost zilch.

“The team was unbelievable in front of me in the second period,” Lemanowicz said. “I didn’t get a shot until the 15-minute mark of the second period.”

The Chiefs outshot Tri-City 21-9 through two periods, erasing 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to lead 3-2 on goals by Hugh Hamilton, Sean Gillam and Trent Whitfield. Whitfield’s strike was a short-handed goal.

But Tri-City got even when Zenith Komarniski scored at 4:54.

Tri-City’s Jaroslav Svejkovsky notched his second goal at 5:37 of the third to put Tri-City up 4-3.

Then Hope cashed in, followed by Cirjak. Darren Sinclair capped it with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Chiefs 6, Americans 4

Spokane 1 2 3 - 6

Tri-City 2 0 2 - 4

First period - 1, T-C, Svejkovsky 1 (Ascroft, Toor) 2:18 (power play); 2, Spo, Hamilton 1 (Leonov, Sinclair) 10:52; 3, T-C, Mike Hurley ( Boikov, Briske) 14:34 (pp). Key penalties - Bertsch, Spo, double minor, :40; Boikov, T-C, 4:30; Whitfield, Spo, 4:52; Magarrell, Spo, 14:26; Komarniski, T-C, 19:14.

Second period - 4, Spo, Gillam 1 (Hamilton, Sinclair) 7:17 (pp); 5, Spo, Whitfield 1 (unassisted) (short-handed) 17:31. Key penalties - Boikov, T-C, :40; Komarnski, T-C, 7:11; Briske, T-C, 9:35; Svejkovsky, T-C, 12:49; Haley, Spo, 16:08.

Third period - 6, T-C, Komarniski 1 (Smith) 4:54 (pp); 7, T-C Zvejkovsky 2 (Smith, Mark Hurley) 5:37; 8, Spo, Hope 1 (Cardarelli, Hamilton) 8:37; 9, Spo, Cirjak 1 (Gillam, Cardarelli) 11:29; 10, Spo, Sinclair (Whitfield) (empty net) 19:45. Key penalties - Hamilton, Spo, 4:32.

Power-play opp. - Spokane 1 of 6. Tri-City 3 of 6. Saves - Spokane, Lemanowicz 3-4-10-17. Tri-City, Boucher 10-8-9-27. A - 5,556.

, DataTimes