Spokane Chiefs bounce back from deep deficit, can’t find equalizer against Portland

On Friday, the Spokane Chiefs played one of their best games of the season, knocking off Western Conference leader Prince George 4-3 behind two first-period goals by team scoring leader Berkly Catton.

Saturday’s opponent was second-place Portland, coming off a 3-2 win at Tri-City on Friday. If either team was tired from playing back-to-back nights, the scoring didn’t show it. The goals came early, and often.

Unfortunately, the result turned out differently than Friday night for the home team – but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

James Stefan scored the eventual winning goal in the middle of the second period and the Winterhawks outlasted the Chiefs 5-4 in a Western Hockey League U.S. Division game at the Arena.

The Chiefs modest two-game win streak was snapped. Catton had a goal and an assist, and Conner Roulette added a goal and two assists.

Spokane head coach Ryan Smith is leading Team Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea. Associate coach Stefan Legein is acting head coach in Smith’s stead.

“If you replay some of the interviews from earlier in the year, there’ll be a lot of talk about we have to learn how to play these games, and we have to learn how to do all these things. And it’s starting to show,” Legein said.

“This weekend we played the two best teams in the league, arguably, and I thought we are the best team both games,” Catton said. “Just unfortunate tonight kind of went the other way for us. But you know, I’m really happy with where we are right now.”

Late in the second period, Spokane’s Will McIsaac and Portland’s Tyson Yaremko fought, and Yaremko earned an extra 2 minutes for instigating. The Chiefs won the offensive zone faceoff, then Catton found Roulette on the back door for his 29th goal of the season with 4:31 left in the period to make it 5-4.

Cowan robbed Luca Cagnoni on a point-blank shot midway through the third, then stoned Marcus Nguyen on a short-handed attempt moments later.

“(Cowan) made a couple breakaway saves when we were on the power play, a couple 2-on-1s,” Legein said. “If you can make those real tough ones, it keeps you in the game. On a different night, those (first period) bounces don’t go in and we win that game.”

Catton and Chase Bertholet both had good chances around the 2-minute mark, but Portland goalie Nick Avakyan was equal to the task. The Chiefs pulled Cowan for the extra skater with 50 seconds to go, but Avakan collected a tip off the stick of Van Olm and the Chiefs didn’t find the equalizer.

“We play a game last night where we’re able to hold the lead, and we play a game tonight where we’re down and we’re able to come back and stay in the game, and hold a really good offensive team to no goals in the third period where they’re still trying to push. I thought it was a good effort and it’s unfortunate, but there’s a lot of learning going on,” Legein said.

Chiefs forward Ty Cheveldayoff was whistled for hooking just 27 seconds into the game and the Winterhawks made it count, as Cagnoni’s floater from the point was deflected by a defender and past Cowan for a power-play goal.

Portland (30-11-2-1) added to the lead 35 seconds later on Yaremko’s second goal of the season, a wrist shot from the right point that got through a double screen.

The Chiefs’ misfortunes continued. Layton Fiest took a tripping penalty in the offensive zone, sending Portland back to the power play. Diego Buttazoni’s slap shot hit the post, but on the next trip into the zone Carter Sotheran chipped a loose puck through Cowan to make it 3-0 just 10 minutes into the game.

“I hate to say but we’ve been in that position quite a bit of times this year,” Catton said. “We’ve just been learning how to you know, bounce back and I think our biggest thing should be eliminating getting in those positions.”.

Spokane finally got on the board with 2:07 left in the first with a power play goal of its own. Feist’s cross ice pass was hammered by Rasmus Ekström past Avakyan from the left wing faceoff circle for his ninth goal of the season.

The Chiefs (17-22-4-0) made it a one-goal game less than 3 minutes into the second period with their second power play goal of the contest. Winger Ben Bonni fed streaking defenseman Brayden Crampton, who beat a defender down the slot and snapped a wrister five hole for his fifth marker of the season.

The good times didn’t last long, as Portland back less than 2 minutes later. Gabe Classen won a puck along the end boards and hit Stefan, camped out alone at the top of the crease, for his 29th goal of the season.

A few minutes later, Catton turned into a one-man wrecking crew, generating several quality scoring chances in succession before finally getting Avakyan so far out of position he couldn’t recover. Catton’s last shot of the series was calmly flipped over the sprawled goalie for his 31st goal of the season.

“I never really gave up on the puck, there was three or four shots out there,” Catton said. “A goal is a goal.”

“Sometimes when (Catton) has the puck, you’re almost just a fan,” Legein said. “He’s so special and so dynamic, he must be a nightmare to play against for other teams.”

Again, Portland pushed the lead back to two with yet another power play goal with Stefan potting his second of the game from the right wing circle.