Chiefs top Seattle for 3rd win in a row
Liam Stewart provided the game-winner for the second consecutive night as Spokane cruised to a 4-1 win over Seattle in front of 3,568 fans at the Spokane Arena Wednesday night. Eric Williams stopped 30 shots as the Chiefs improved to 14-5-0-0 at home and 27-13-1-0 overall.
Spokane got on the board early in the first as Mitch Holmberg lit the lamp just 1:18 in with assists from Dylan Walchuk and Cole Wedman. Holmberg’s 25th goal of the season stretched the Chiefs’ streak to 100 games without being shutout.
Seattle capitalized on a power play at 11:26 with sharpshooter Alexander Delnov firing a shot inside the right post and past Williams for the equalizer. Neither team scored for the remainder of the first as the Thunderbirds outshot Spokane 13-10 for the period.
The Chiefs went on the offensive in the second and it paid off as they outshot the T-Birds 17-7 and score the period’s lone goal. That score came at 3:16 with Stewart emerging from a scrum in front of the net and flicking a shot past Danny Mumaugh on assists from Collin Valcourt and Connor Chartier.
Mike Aviani pushed the Chiefs’ lead to 3-1 as he redirected a shot off his skate and into the net at the 8:58 mark of the third with assists to Brenden Kichton and Blake Gal. Spokane’s final goal came on a penalty shot from Carter Proft who beat Mumaugh with a forehand at 13:56.
Williams finished 30 of 31 on save opportunities while Mumaugh was 34 of 38 for Seattle. Spokane went 0 for 3 on the power play and 4 of 5 on the penalty kill.
Tonight’s three stars: Williams (1st), Proft (2nd), and Stewart (3rd).
The Chiefs travel to Portland on Friday for a matchup with the Winterhawks before returning to the Spokane Arena on Saturday night for a 7:05 PM game against the Kootenay Ice.
