Chiefs clinch WHL playoff berth behind Adam Beckman’s career night

LETHBRIDGE, Alberta – Adam Beckman scored twice and assisted on three goals for a career-high five points as the Spokane Chiefs doubled up the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-3 on Wednesday night at the Enmax Centre, clinching a place in the Western Hockey League playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Beckman, a left wing who leads the WHL with 97 points (43 goals, 54 assists), set up first-period goals by Bear Hughes, on the power play, and Jack Finley.

The first of Luke Toporowski’s two goals, early in the second, gave Spokane a 3-0 lead. Lethbridge, which outshot the Chiefs 44-28, then struck twice, with goals by Logan Barlage and Zack Stringer cutting Spokane’s lead to 3-2 after two.

Beckman’s goal 27 seconds into the third period made it 4-2. Toporowski’s second score 3:18 later restored the Chiefs’ three-goal margin. After Brett Davis tallied for the Hurricanes, Beckman closed out the scoring with 2:26 left. Noah King assisted on all three of Spokane’s third-period goals.

Goaltender Lukas Parik made 41 saves for Spokane (33-18-4-1, 71 points). Lethbridge fell to 34-15-2-5, good for 75 points. The Chiefs’ road trip continues with a visit to Swift Current on Friday at 5 p.m.