In a game not even the best script writers could think of, the Spokane Chiefs beat the Tri-City Americans in a back-and-forth contest 7-6 to clinch a playoff birth. It’s their first playoff berth since the 2021-2022 season, and Tri-City would drop their 8th game in a row without a point.
The Chiefs struck a pot of gold to open the scoring in this thriller on the annual St. Paddy’s Theme Night in Spokane.
On the power play, four minutes into the game, following a Jake Sloan hooking penalty, Shea Van Olm worked the puck out of the front. Van Olm then banged a backhanded effort right by Kyle Kelsey from close quarters to get the Chiefs on the board.
Spokane added another goal to double their lead just a minute after the Van Olm goal.
Colorado Avalanche prospect Saige Weinstein made a backdoor feed to overage forward Connor Roulette. Roulette fired a wrist shot quickly and past the diving goalie Kyle Kelsey for his forty-second goal of the season.
Tri-City got on the board after netting a power-play goal of their own following Spokane getting caught with too many men on the ice.
Overage American’s forward Parker Bell at the blue line fired a wrist shot that sneaked through traffic and by Dawson Cowan’s left pad with just three minutes remaining in the first period to make it a one-goal game.
After twenty minutes, the Chiefs held onto a 2-1 lead and led in shots 17-9.
Tri-City tied the game right out of the first intermission, scoring just over a minute into the second period, which began a chaotic second period.
Jordan Gavin sauced a pass to Jake Sloan, who had barely nudged past Chief defenders for a breakaway. Sloan faked a forehand shot, went backhand to fool Chief Goalie Dawson Cowan, and put the puck into essentially an open net after Cowan had sprawled out.
Tri-City then scored the go-ahead goal, which was Parker Bell’s second goal of the game, to hush the bumper Spokane crowd for the moment.
Carter MacAdams, along the boards, eyed Parker Bell, streaking towards the net in a hurry. MacAdams flipped a pass to the slot that perfectly connected with Bell. Bell then tapped the puck from close quarters through the five-hole of Dawson Cowan to make it 3-2 Tri-City.
Tri-City extended their lead to two after a goal by none other than the red hot Parker Bell.
Parker Bell completed the hat trick over halfway through the second period at 10:54. Jackson Smith barrelled in on the right wing and closed in on the net. Smith then quickly snapped a pass to Bell, who was waiting unmarked on the backdoor. Bell then tapped the puck in and made it 4-2 Tri-City.
“Extremely Good.” Stu Barnes noted post-game when questioned about Bell’s performance. “He lifted us through the second period and put us in the driver’s seat for a bit, and I thought he really was impressive all night.”
Spokane would not go away, though, and with five minutes left in the second period, would make it a one-goal game.
Carter Streek and Ben Bonni tagged up together. Bonni raced in on the right wing and fired a cross-crease pass by the American’s defensemen, who were caught off guard. The puck then glanced off of Carter Streek’s skate and in.
With just three seconds remaining, Spokane scored its second power-play goal of the night and tied the game, making it 4-4 after Lukas Dragicevic’s second penalty of the game, this time for holding.
After Ben Bonni slid the puck over to Berkly Catton at the point, Catton slowly skated in on the left circle and fired a wrist shot that went bardown on Kyle Kelsey. Connor Roulette was also awarded an assist, which put Roulette at 100 points overall on the season to complete a chaotic second period.
Following a haywire five-goal second period, the score was 4-4, and Spokane led in the shot category 30-18.
Tri-City snagged the lead right back at 4:09 to start scoring in the third period.
During a 4-on-4 play, Jake Sloan skated into the right circle and fired a shot that bounced off of Cowan. Sloan quickly rebounded and flipped the puck toward the slot. Alex Serraglio picked the puck up from close quarters and lofted the puck over to Jordan Gavin, who was waiting on the backdoor. Gavin then tapped the puck in, and it was 5-4 Americans.
The back-and-forth game continued, as Spokane tied the game yet again at 5:02 in the third period, just a minute after the Sloan goal.
Owen Martin and Carter Streek of Spokane walked in on a two-on-one. Martin whipped the puck cross-crease to Streek, who fanned the shot. Kyle Kelsey had dove across the crease and lay practically behind the net, but two American defenders blocked him from returning to the crease. Martin then picked the puck up behind the net and wrapped it around into an empty net to make it 5-5.
Seattle Kraken prospect Lukas Dragicevic of Tri-City changed the lead in the game for the fourth time just a minute after the Owen Martin goal.
After defenseman Merrek Arpin of Tri-City worked his way into the slot and fired a wrister, the shot bounced off Chief goalie Dawson Cowan’s chest to Dragicevic, who stood beside the net. Dragicevic cleaned up the garbage and made it 6-5 Tri-City.
With time ticking and just two minutes and thirty seconds left in the game, you guessed it, Spokane tied the game again to add to this absolute story of a game.
Top 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Berkly Catton got to work and did the honors for his second goal of the game. Catton dangled his way into the zone and into the right circle. Catton then quickly swerved towards the slot and fired a wrister that snuck by Kelsey’s blocker to tie the game at 6-6.
With just 17 seconds left in regulation and the Americans holding off the Chiefs onslaught to the best of their abilities, Will McIsaac would say enough and grant Spokane a playoff birth.
Berkly Catton skated around from behind the net and approached the slot. Catton then dished the puck off to the big defenseman in McIsaac. McIsaac then let a one-time bomb fly from the right circle that went right under Kyle Kelsey’s glove to make it 7-6 Spokane.
“It’s a little chance to breathe,” Chiefs Head Coach Ryan Smith said when asked about the Chiefs clinching a playoff birth. “We don’t want to limp into the playoffs, though. We still have three games left and a big game tomorrow against Wenatchee. Just try and prepare as much as we can for the playoffs.”
Although it was a gut-wrenching loss, American’s head coach, Stu Barnes, was optimistic after the game when asked about his thoughts of the game.
“That was the best I think we’ve played in weeks,” Barnes aid. “Being short on guys and having a lot of injuries has not helped. So the guys that have not been getting a lot of minutes have been playing a lot, and they’ve been playing pretty well.”
On the other side, Chiefs head coach Ryan Smith praised Tri-City when asked a similar question.
“It was a real close game all the way,” Smith said. “We wanted to win on our own terms, and Tri-City gave us everything they had making that difficult. Sticking to the plan was important, and just finding a way at the end with McIsaac’s goal.”
With their loss, Tri-City move to 22-40-2-1 on the season. Tri-City will look to end their losing ways as the Americans return home on Friday, March 22nd, against the Portland Winterhawks. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.
With the bumpy road Tri-City has been on, Barnes was asked how he keeps the locker room stable at this point in the season.
“We have to lean off leadership and just have some perspective that there’s nothing we can do now,” Barnes said. “Stay in the moment, be present, and play the game that’s directly in front of you.”
Northwest Sports Desk 