The Spokane Chiefs have significantly improved this season, winning twice as many regular-season games as the previous year and securing a playoff berth after missing out last season. However, to advance to the second round, the eighth-seeded Chiefs face a challenging task of overcoming a substantial deficit.
Despite this setback, the Chiefs have the advantage of playing the next three games on home ice. In the latest match against Prince George, the Cougars built a commanding six-goal lead and resisted Spokane’s comeback efforts to clinch a 7-4 victory in Game 2 of the Western Hockey League first-round series at CN Centre on Saturday. With seven different players contributing goals, the Cougars now lead the series 2-0, with Game 3 set to take place at the Arena on Tuesday, followed by Games 4 and 5 on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, if necessary.
Prince George, the top seed, concluded the regular season with an impressive 102 points and has remained unbeaten in regulation since February 2, boasting a 20-game point streak.
The pivotal moment in the recent game occurred during the latter stages of the second period when Prince George netted three goals in just 1 minute and 13 seconds, courtesy of Aiden Foster, Carlin Dezainde, and Viliam Kmec, all notching their first playoff goals. Despite Spokane’s efforts, including goals from Owen Martin and Hayden Paupanekis early in the third period and Layton Feist’s goal late in the game, they fell short of closing the gap.
Chiefs’ starting goalie Dawson Cowan struggled, conceding six goals on 16 shots before being replaced by Cooper Michaluk late in the second period. Although Spokane managed to reduce the deficit to two goals late in the game, Prince George sealed the victory with an empty-net goal in the closing seconds.
While the Chiefs face a challenging situation heading into the next games, they remain determined to turn the series around and extend their playoff journey.
In contrast to the previous game, Prince George took the lead in Game 2 by scoring the first goal. During an extended offensive phase, the Cougars maintained possession of the puck until it was redirected into the left-wing circle. There, defenseman Keaton Dowhaniuk unleashed a powerful slap shot amidst traffic, finding the back of the net for his second goal of the series at 9:36 of the opening period, beating Chiefs goaltender Dawson Cowan.
Shortly after, Joshua Ravensbergen, the Prince George goalie, managed to stop Conner Roulette’s attempt to equalize even from a seated position.
In the early stages of the second period, a turnover in the neutral zone resulted in a two-on-none opportunity for Prince George, with Oren Shtrom capitalizing on Matteo Danis’ pass to score his first goal of the series, extending the lead to 2-0.
Moments later, a loose puck slipped past Dawson Cowan but the Chiefs’ goaltender swiftly located and covered it before any further scoring occurred.
During a boarding penalty called against Hayden Paupanekis, Prince George capitalized on the power play, with Ondrej Becher scoring his second goal of the series with a slapshot from the right circle, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead midway through the second period.
Prince George then went on a scoring spree, netting three goals in just 1 minute and 13 seconds.
They extended their lead to 4-0 when a turnover behind the Chiefs’ net led to an easy goal for Aiden Foster in the slot at 14:24 of the period, marking his first playoff goal. This was followed by another goal a minute later, with Carlin Dezainde converting a rebound, and then Viliam Kmec scored 12 seconds after that to make it 6-0.
With six goals conceded on just 16 shots, Chiefs coach Ryan Smith decided to replace Cowan with Cooper Michaluk in goal.
The Chiefs managed to get on the scoreboard early in the third period when Owen Martin redirected a shot from Will McIsaac past Ravensbergen just 58 seconds into the period.
Hayden Paupanekis then redirected a shot from Martin for a power play goal at 8:34 of the third period, reducing the deficit to four goals.
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