(Spokane, WA) The Spokane Chiefs stole two games in Everett to start their second round series with the Silvertips thanks to timely goals and a stingy defensive effort.
That continued in Game 3 on home ice. They took an early third period lead off a strong forecheck and then held off the U.S. Division regular season champions for a 3-1 lead.
Through three games in the series, the Chiefs have held the Silvertips to just five goals with three of those coming in Game 1.
While Spokane head coach Dan Lambert did seem to still find a way to get his top defensive pair of Noah King and Ty Smith out against Everett’s top scorer Connor Dewar and second-leading scorer Bryce Kindopp, he was definitely going to do so with last change on home ice in Game 3.
To say they have been effective is an understatement.
Kindopp had 73 points in the regular season and nine points in Everett’s five-game first round series lead. He has zero points and is a minus-seven against the Chiefs so far.
Dewar had 81 points in 59 regular season games and had seven points in the first round. He has zero points and is a minus-six in three games versus Spokane.
Spokane goalie Bailey Brkin has also found his groove against Everett. He turned away 29-of-30 shots in Game 3 and has stopped 88-of-91 so far in the series.
The Chiefs now have the defending Western Conference champions on the ropes, up 3-0 in the series. They have two chances on home ice to close out Everett as well due to a scheduling conflict at Everett’s home rink.
Spokane opened the scoring Wednesday, after Dewar took a first period penalty. Filip Kral wired a shot towards the Silvertips and Ethan McIndoe got his stick on the puck, redirecting it by Everett goalie Dustin Wolf for his third of the series and fifth of the playoffs.
Spokane was 1-for-3 on the power play and is now 3-of-6 in the series on the man advantage.
Everett answered on the rush just 1:57 later in the first. Zack Andrusiak got the puck to Robbie Holmes on the rush and the 1999-born forward sniped a shot by Brkin’s blocker.
In the third, Spokane used their patented aggressive forecheck to take the lead back.
Michael King got in on Everett defenseman Sahvan Khaira, forcing a turnover, Luc Smith then flipped a shot on net that Wolf turned away. Adam Beckman was right there for the rebound, putting away his fourth of the playoffs for a 2-1 lead.
The Chiefs shut things down in the third, only allowing five shots on Brkin.
They also won many big defensive faceoffs, including one with Wolf pulled for an extra attacker that led to a Jaret Anderson-Dolan empty-net goal. That sealed the game at 3-1 and gives Spokane a chance to secure a spot in the Western Conference final if they win on Friday.
Game Notes:
-Spokane has been out shot in every game of the series. That was the case again in Game 3 with Everett getting 30 shots to Spokane’s 20.
-Wolf stopped 17-of-19 in the Everett net.
-The Silvertips were 0-for-2 on the power play.
–Wyatte Wylie led Everett in shots with six, while Anderson-Dolan had four for Spokane.
-Spokane had Riley Woods go 7-for-17 at faceoffs, while Luc Smith was 3-of-7 and Jack Finley went 3-for-9.
-Everett had Riley Sutter back in the lineup and he went 10-for-15, while Reece Vitelli was 5-of-10 and Max Patterson went 9-of-16.
-Sutter had three shots and took a minor penalty in his first action since late December.
