Shea Van Olm scores twice, Spokane Chiefs dig out of early hole in 7-4 win over Portland

The Spokane Chiefs were looking at back-to-back home games against the Portland Winterhawks as “must-win” games, with the visitors at the end of four games in five nights, and the Chiefs looking at six of nine games on the road against the U.S. Division in December.

Mission accomplished.

The Chiefs dug an early two-goal hole Sunday, but special teams helped them recover to beat the Winterhawks 7-4 in a Western Hockey League game at the Arena .

The Chiefs (18-9-0-0) have won six in a row and seven of their last eight games. Spokane went 2 for 5 on the power play, scored two 4-on-4 goals and went 4 for 5 on the penalty kill.

Shea Van Olm had two goals with an assist, while Berkly Catton and Saige Weinstein added a goal and an assist apiece.

Kyle Chyzowski registered a hat trick for Portland.

“When you’re winning games at any point in the year, it’s good for the group and for momentum and good for the locker room,” Van Olm said. “When you’ve got a team on the ropes those are big games. Any time we’re playing another team in our division it’s a ‘must-win’ for us.”

“I thought (Portland) gave us a push in the first period. I think this is a learning thing for our group to understand the importance of being ready,” Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said. “Credit to our guys to find a way to get back into it.”

As in Saturday’s game, the Winterhawks (13-11-2-0) got on the board first and early. Carsyn Dyck’s soft wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle was knocked down by Chiefs goalie Dawson Cowan, but the loose puck was swept in by Tyson Yaremko for his ninth goal of the season.

Unlike Saturday’s game, Portland added on to their lead, as Chyzowski converted a pass from Diego Buttazzoni on the rush to make it 2-0 just 71/2 minutes into the contest.

“(Portland) had a lot of energy,” Lauer said. “We underestimated them. One thing I told our guys, when you play back-to-back (against a team) like this in your own division when you win the first game, that second game is tough.”

The Chiefs roared back late in the period on special teams.

Coincidental roughing minors set up a 4-on-4 situation with less than two minutes left in the period and the Chiefs took full advantage.

After gaining the zone, Van Olm found Weinstein alone in the high slot. He deked a defender and put a backhander past Portland goalie Marek Schlenker for his first goal of the season.

Portland took another penalty with 45 seconds left to make it 4-on-3 and the Chiefs made good again, with Van Olm tapping in a cross-crease pass from Brayden Crampton to tie it with 7.4 seconds left in the period.

“It was a big 4-on-3 power play for us,” Lauer said. We’ve had some success with that this year, and we’ve got some guys who can do some special things on the ice. It was a great pass to the back door for (Van Olm). It was a big goal coming into the end of the period.”

The Chiefs were awarded back-to-back power plays early in the second. They could not capitalize on the first one, but did on the second, as Mathis Preston found Sam Oremba in the slot for his seventh goal of the season and a 3-2 lead.

“Our power play has been generating a lot. And credit to our (penalty kill), we had a lot of big blocks,” Van Olm said.

The lead didn’t last long, though, as Chyzowski scored on a power play while Oremba’s goal was being announced with Cam Parr off for checking to the head.

The Chiefs cashed in at 4-on-4 again later in the period, with defenseman Owen Schoettler sweeping in a puck off Schlenker from below the goal line to regain the lead.

Van Olm was hauled down from behind on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot, which he converted for a 5-3 lead with just more than four minutes to go in the second.

“He’s got a lot of confidence. He’s playing well.” Lauer said of Van Olm. He knows what he’s got to do, he knows his role. As a 20-year-old, that’s what you want – to be responsible and understand the game.”

Portland made it a one-goal game just more than three minutes into the third as Dyck sprung Chyzowski on a breakaway.

“(Portland) should have been tired, but they didn’t look it,” Lauer said. “Our guys didn’t manage the puck very well … We just didn’t execute the D-to-D pass. Just mistakes we can’t do moving forward.”

Catton restored the two-goal lead midway through the period, beating Schlenker short-side from a sharp angle on the rush. It was his 13th of the season, off an assist from Weinstein.

Hayden Paupanekis added an empty-net goal with 30 seconds to play. Spokane drove play in the third, outshooting Portland 15-8 in the frame and 40-27 overall.

“When you’re in front going into the third period it’s important to limit their breathing room,” Van Olm said. “Giving a team life, especially a fast team like that, can go a long way, so I thought we did a good job of controlling our emotions and playing the right way in the third.”