Rasmus Ekstrom scores game-winner in overtime; Spokane Chiefs edge Vancouver 4-3

From staff reports

The Spokane Chiefs got off to a torrid start Friday night. It wasn’t sustainable, but the home team caught a break in overtime.

Rasmus Ekstrom scored a power-play goal a little more than a minute into the extra session and the Chiefs edged he Vancouver Giants 4-3 in a Western Hockey League game at the Arena.

Giants winger Ty Halaburda was whistled for a holding infraction 45 seconds into the extra session. With the man advantage, Berkly Catton found Ekstrom skating through the slot and the 20-year-old Sweden winger fired a wrist shot past Giants goaltender Burke Hood for his second career game-winning goal.

The Chiefs showed jump right out of the gate, scoring twice in the game’s first 2 minutes, 22 seconds.

Shea Van Olm scored the first of his two goals 44 seconds into the game off assists from Will McIsaac and Catton, and Chase Harrington his third goal of the season to stretch the lead to 2-0.

Halaburda narrowed Vancouver’s deficit to 2-1 later in the opening period, and Mazden Leslie’s goal at 7:16 in the second period knotted the score.

Van Olm scored again – his 11th goal of the season – midway through the second period to give the Chiefs a 3-2 lead. Van Olm is up to 11 goals in 13 games, just two shy of his total in 32 games with the Chiefs last season. His 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) is tied for first in the WHL.

Vancouver evened the score again with Tyler Thorpe’s goal early in the third.

Dawson Cowan was credited with 18 saves for the Chiefs, who host Tri-City Saturday night.