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WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Weekly Report

October 30, 2007 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


For just the third time in franchise history, the Spokane Chiefs have reeled off eight straight wins and see themselves in a first place tie in the U.S. Division with the Tri-City Americans, each with 24 points. Spokane has played one less game than their rival heading into a weekend with three games in as many nights.

The Chiefs will play the Seattle Thunderbirds twice, Friday at home and Sunday on the road, and will host the Vancouver Giants on Saturday night. The Giants match-up will be the second and final meeting of the year in a game that will pit the top two teams in the Western Conference against each other. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on Comcast channel 12.

Spokane won 12 games in a row, a franchise record, in 1995-96, one year after they posted an eight gamer. The Chiefs have done it by outscoring the opposition 31-12 (3.88-1.50 on average) and have held other teams to just 22.8 shots on goal per game.

THIS WEEK

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND vs. SEATTLE AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH at SEATTLE AIR-4:30 GAME-5:00

Spokane will host their U.S. Division rival Seattle Thunderbirds for the second of nine meetings on the year and for the second time in three games. The Chiefs will host the T-Birds five times and travel to Seattle four time. Friday's game will be one of three games between the two in a nine day span. Spokane will make a trip to Seattle on November 4th. Dustin Tokarski made 22 saves and the Chiefs shutout the Thunderbirds 2-0 on October 27th in their first meeting of the season. Spokane was 3-2-3-0 last year against the Thunderbirds. David Rutherford had five goals and eight points in seven games and Mitch Wahl had 4-3-7 in eight games.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD vs. VANCOUVER AIR-6:30 GAME-7:00

The Chiefs will host Vancouver in their second and final meeting of the season. Kevin Armstrong made 18 saves and Chris Bruton and Judd Blackwater both scored goals to give Spokane a 2-0 win over the Giants on October 21st in their first meeting of the season. The Chiefs were 1-3 versus the Giants last year with their lone win coming in a shootout. Ondøej Roman led the Chiefs with three assists in four games. Kevin Armstrong had a 2.64 GAA and .920 save percentage versus the Giants.

LAST WEEK

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH SPOKANE-2 vs. SEATTLE-0 The Spokane Chiefs earned their second shutout in three games and won their seventh in a row with a 2-0 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday night in the Spokane Arena. Chris Langkow and Jared Cowen each scored for Spokane and the Chiefs went 7-7 on the penalty kill. Langkow's third of the year came at 5:00 of the first and on a rebound of his own re-direction of a Curtis Kelner shot. Kelner then assisted on Cowen's power play goal at 11:35 of the second, a snap shot from the high slot as time expired on their penalty. Dustin Tokarski took home first star honors for his 22 save performance, his first shutout of the season and third career.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH SPOKANE-9 vs. PORTLAND-1

The Spokane Chiefs notched their 8th straight win as they used a four goal first period on their way to a 9-1 win over the Portland Winter Hawks Sunday in Portland. Ondøej Roman (two), Chris Langkow, Judd Blackwater (two), Drayson Bowman, Levko Koper, Mitch Wahl and Seth Compton all scored for Spokane as they outshot the Winter Hawks 42-28 on the game.

NEWS AND NOTES

STREAKING... Spokane won 12 games in a row, a franchise record, in 1995-96, one year after they posted an eight gamer. The Chiefs have done it by outscoring the opposition 31-12 (3.88-1.50 on average) and have held other teams to just 22.8 shots on goal per game.

FOR STARTERS...The Chiefs 11-2-1-1 record and 24 points after 15 games is tied for the best start in franchise history. Spokane was 11-2-2 in 1991-92. The 1991-92 club won their next two games to go 13-2-2 through 17 games.

ONE GOAL...Four of the Chiefs last eight wins have been by a one goal margin with the game winner being scored in the last 10-minutes of the third period. Three times it has been scored in the final five minutes. Spokane is 8-0 when leading after two periods.

NINE IS FINE...The Chiefs scored a season high nine goals on October 28th in a 9-1 win over the Portland Winter Hawks. It was the most goals they have scored since February 28th, 2007 at Portland.

AN ARMY OF ONE...Kevin Armstrong has won his last six starts and is fourth in the WHL with a 2.12 GAA. Armstrong recorded his fourth career shutout, his third as a Chief, with 18 saves in a 2-0 win on October 21st at Vancouver.

TIC-TOK...Dustin Tokarski earned his first shutout of the season, third career, with 22 saves in a 2-0 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on October 27th, 2007. Tokarski is 4-1-0-1 on the season and is second in the WHL with a 1.98 GAA and fourth in the WHL with a .917 save percentage.

CHIEFS TRADE KOZYRA TO MEDICINE HAT...The Spokane Chiefs have traded defenseman Patrick Kozyra to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a fifth round bantam selection in the 2008 draft. Kozyra had appeared in eight games this season with one assist. The 18-year-old is +2 on the season. The Chiefs also traded the rights of Andrew MacWilliam, their ninth round bantam selection in the 2005 draft, to the Tigers for future considerations. MacWilliam is playing junior A with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL.

FIRST THINGS FIRST...Spokane has scored the first goal of the game in 12 of their 15 games this season and are 10-2 when they do that.

SHOT THROUGH THE HEART...Spokane has outshot the opposition in 13 of the 15 games this year and hold an 11-2 record when they accomplish that feat. During their eight game win streak Spokane has allowed an average of 22.8 shots a game. The Chiefs are 0-2 when being outshot.

POWERFUL...The Chiefs have scored a power play goal in eight of their last nine games and are 9-43 (20.9%) through that span.

COWEN'S CORNER...Sixteen-year-old Jared Cowen has two goals and three assists in his last six games and is +11 in his last 11 games, including a +4 night on October 28th at Portland. Cowen's +11 is fourth in the WHL. The defenseman is tied for seventh in WHL in rookie scoring. Cowen scored his first career goal on Friday, October 5th at Tri-City. In 14 games, Cowen has three goals and seven helpers.

LANGKOW'S LOG...Eighteen-year-old Chris Langkow has two goals and three points in his last two games and three goals and five points in his last five games. Langkow scored his first goal of the season and added an assist in the Chiefs 4-3 win at the Kelowna Rockets on October 20th. The game was Langkow's second career multiple point game. He had a pair of goals on March 18th, 2007 at Portland and finished last season with four points in his last three games.

COUNTING ON COYLE...Seventeen-year-old rookie Jace Coyle recorded his first career points with a pair of helpers in a 9-1 win in Portland on October 28th. Coyle is +2 in 13 games this season.

UNLEASH THE FURY...Mitch Wahl has two goals and four points in his last three games and is +6 in his last four. Wahl is tied with Chris Bruton for second on the team in scoring with 16 points. Six of Wahl's 12 helpers have come on the power play and his is +7 on the season.

PEORIA'S PRIDE...Curtis Kelner has already set career highs in goals and points with three goals and nine points in 13 games. The Peoria, Arizona native has five assists and is +5 in his last two games. Kelner is +6 on the season. Coming into this season, Kelner had two goals and nine points in 97 career games.

KOPING JUST FINE...Levko Koper recorded a career high three points, one goal and two assists, in a 9-1 win over the Portland Winter Hawks on October 28th.

18-YEAR-OLD SPURGEON...Jared Spurgeon is tied for second in the WHL in plus-minus with a team leading +13. Spurgeon is +6 in his last six games and had a six game point streak (1-5-6) snapped on October 27th. The three-year veteran scored his first goal of the season in a 7-2 win on September 22nd at Prince George and has two goals and seven points in 14 games this year.

ROOTIN-BRUTON...Twenty-year-old Chris Bruton has points in 11 of 15 games this year for a total of five goals and 16 points. Bruton has two goals and six points in his last six games. Three of his goals have counted as the game winner, first in the WHL. The four-year veteran was named the Chiefs captain at the start of the season and has played 205 career WHL games.

ROMAN INVASION...Ondøej Roman had a career high four point night with two goals and two assists in a 9-1 at Portland on October 28th. Roman's five goals on the season are one more than he scored all of last year. The 18-year-old recorded his first career two goal game in a 2-1 win over the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday, October 13th. Roman had 48 points last year, 44 coming on assists. The 18-year-old was selected in the fifth round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.

LETTS TALK HOCKEY...Ryan Letts had is first point as a Chief on October 19th in a 3-2 win over Saskatoon. Letts is +3 with three assists in eight games as a Chief. The 18-year-old was acquired from the Calgary Hitmen on October 10th. Letts is a forward from Newport Beach, California and in his third full season in the WHL with 96 career WHL games.

KEEPIN' UP WITH JOHNSON ...Rookie forward Tyler Johnson has three goals and six points in his last 10 games. Johnson scored his first career goal in his first career home game on October 6th versus the Tri-City Americans. The Spokane native was the Chiefs 11th round pick in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft. Johnson scored 56 goals and 120 points in 39 games with the Coeur d'Alene Lakers of the NORPAC last season.

BOWMAN EXPLOSION... Drayson Bowman is leading the Chiefs in scoring with 18 points in 15 games. Bowman tallied a pair of goals on September 29th in a 4-1 win at Kootenay. Five of his goals have come on the power play. Bowman enjoyed a career four point night on September 22nd at Prince George in a 7-2 win. Bowman scored twice and assisted on two others. The 18-year-old scored 24 goals and 43 points in 61 games last season. As a rookie, in 2005-06, Bowman scored 17 goals and 34 points and was named the Chiefs Rookie of the Year. Bowman was the Chiefs first round selection in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft.

OH, BLACKWATER...Twenty-year-old Judd Blackwater has four goals and six points and is +5 in his last five games. Blackwater has six goals and 14 points this season.

STRAIGHT OUTTA...Seth Compton has two goals and four points in his last five games and is +3 in his last six games. Compton scored the game winner on October 20th in a 4-3 win at Kelowna.

BIG SHOTS...Spokane put 55 shots on net on September 22nd at Prince George in a 7-2 win, their most since they had 51 shots on October 19th, 2005 in a 3-2 win at home versus Saskatoon.

DRAFTED PLAYERS... Drayson Bowman (Carolina, 3rd round, 2007), Justin Falk (Minnesota, 4th round, 2007), Ondrej Roman (Dallas, 5th round, 2007)

INJURY REPORT...Dustin Donaghy (hand, three-weeks), David Rutherford (groin, week-to-week)

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