Esler pitches shutout, Chiefs blank Silvertips 4-0 in Everett
Everett, Wash. – The Spokane Chiefs picked up their first win against the Everett Silvertips this season in dominant fashion, blanking the Western Conference leaders 4-0 on the road.
A fast-paced first frame was finally broken open at 14:07 by overage forward Sam Oremba when he cleaned up a rebound in front of the net from a Nathan Mayes shot. It marked Oremba’s 15th goal of the season and ended up being the game-winning goal.
Play slowed down in the second period, as the Chiefs were able to kill off a pair of Everett power plays at 3:32 and 15:08 to hang on to the narrow 1-0 lead going into the second intermission.
Just under five minutes into the third, Tyus Sparks showcased why he earned a top-100 spot on the NHL Central Scouting Service’s Midterm Rankings this week (63rd among North American Skaters) when he scored his 18th goal of the season to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. Logan Wormald was able to push a puck past an Everett defender up to Owen Martin who slid it across center to the waiting Sparks, who fired a rocket to the twine.
About 10 minutes later, at 15:16, the Chiefs capitalized on a power play opportunity as Chase Harrington tipped in a shot by Wormald to push Spokane’s lead to 3-0. Harrington was also ranked 32nd among North American Skaters in this week’s NHL CSS Midterm Rankings.
Winnipeg Jets forward prospect Owen Martin turned goal-scorer with less than 3 minutes to go when he picked up a feed from Wormald – the 20-year-old’s third assist of the night – and walked the puck in before slinging it over the line for his 13th goal of the season.
That put the nail in the coffin for the Silvertips, as Chiefs’ netminder Carter Esler was an absolute wall and stopped all 29 shots that came his way throughout the night.
Spokane went 1-for-6 on the power play and a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Up next, the Chiefs will return home Saturday to host the Moose Jaw Warriors for the first and only time this season.
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The Spokane Chiefs are a member of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players. Since 1985 the Chiefs have been a pillar in the Spokane community, offering family-friendly entertainment and a winning tradition, which includes: two Memorial Cup Championships in 1991 & 2008, two WHL Championships in 1991 & 2008 and five Western Conference Championships in 1991, 1996, 2000, 2008 & 2025. Over 60 alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.
