Chiefs Go 3-0 on Road Trip Following 4-1 Win at Vancouver
Nick McCarry scored a pair of goals as the Spokane Chiefs closed off a perfect 3-0 weekend with a 3-1 win at Vancouver on Sunday night. The victory followed a 6-5 win in Kamloops on Friday and a 5-2 decision on Saturday night, also against Vancouver. Sunday’s matinee win gave Spokane a one point advantage over Prince George in a race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
McCarry put the Chiefs on the board first with his 20th goal of the season, and 99th career point, by tapping home a Chase Bertholet pass on the left post 6:46 into the game. It counted as Spokane’s lone power play goal in three chances. Graham Sward’s pass up the right wing put the Chiefs in transition and Bertholet snapped a pass across to McCarry for the tally.
Fellow 20-year-old Bear Hughes jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone, carried it into the Vancouver zone and was zipped it through the pads of Giant goaltender Connor Martin 15:24 into the opening frame and gave Spokane a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Vancouver’s Fabian Lysell pulled the Giants within one after a shorthanded snap shot beat Mason Beaupit high to the glove side. It marked the only shot that made it past the 18-year-old netminder who started, and won, all three games over the weekend.
McCarry’s 100th career point was from a similar spot, driving the left post and finishing off an odd-man rush, this time a three-on-one where Cade Hayes found Bertholet in the middle of the ice, who tapped it to McCarry for the goal.
Erik Athison finished the successful road trip with an empty netter from the Spokane zone and gave the Chiefs their 22nd win of the season.
Prince George dropped a home, overtime contest to the Kamloops Blazers earlier in the day which gave them their 48th point of the season, one point back of Spokane’s 49 in the Western Conference. The Cougars have five games remaining while the Chiefs, four.
Spokane returns home for their final home game of the regular season on Wednesday, April 6th versus the Everett Silvertips. All fans in attendance will have the opportunity to win gifts and prizes from Coeur d’Alene Casino and the Spokane Chiefs on Coeur d’Alene Casino BINGO night. Tickets for all home games are available by visiting www.spokanechiefs.com.
