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WHL Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs Force OT with Two Goals in Final Minute, Fall to Tips 7-6 in Shootout

February 10, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Spokane Chiefs News Release


Everett, Wash. - The Spokane Chiefs pushed with a pair of goals in the final minute of regulation to send the game to overtime, but ultimately lost in the shootout Saturday night to the Everett Silvertips, 7-6.

Everett got off to a hot start when Niko Tsakumis netted his second goal of the year just over two minutes into play to give the Silvertips an early 1-0 lead.

Swedish forward Rasmus Ekström followed that up with his 11th of the season with 11:11 left on the clock to tie the game at one goal apiece. The rookie picked up a loose puck from a Nathan Mayes shot and shoved It over the line. Brayden Crampton also earned an assist on the play.

But the Silvertips went on to score a pair of goals in the back half of the period to pull ahead to a 3-1 lead - first from Parker Berge at 14:09, then from Austin Roest at 17:07.

Defenseman Layton Feist was quick to respond, though, as he picked up a puck from Ben Bonni and fired a rocket to the twine from the blue line to bring the Chiefs within one at 17:39. It would remain 3-2 heading into the first break.

Everett padded their lead to 4-2 thanks to a shorthanded goal by Ben Hemmerling only 59 seconds into the middle frame.

It was a tight contest through the second, but the Chiefs were able to capitalize on the man advantage toward the end when Crampton dropped the puck back to Berkly Catton who carried it up the ice before feeding it to Conner Roulette on the left wing. It wasn't long before Roulette pushed it back over to Catton who was rushing toward the net before firing it through Ethan Chadwick to bring Spokane back within one at 19:32.

It remained 4-3 until 11:09 in the third period when Cade Zaplitny found the back of the net to once again stretch Everett's lead to two.

Four and a half minutes later, Carter Streek entered the zone and slid the puck over to Crampton on the right boards. The 2004-born defenseman then centered the puck to rookie forward Hayden Paupanekis who fired him his eighth goal of the season, making it a 5-4 game.

Hemmerling scored his second of the night at 16:30 with help from Dominik Rymon and Beau Courtney and it looked like the Silvertips were going to come away with the 6-4 win.

But the game wasn't over yet. At the left wing, Ekström pushed then puck over to Chase Bertholet in the right circle who blasted it on net, where it was tipped in by rookie forward Owen Martin for his 13th goal of the year at 19:08.

And the Chiefs didn't stop there. With less than 30 seconds left to go in regulation, Bertholet slid a cross-ice pass to Ekström at the left circle who fired on net, but it was stopped by Chadwick. Ever tenacious in front of the net, overage forward Ty Cheveldayoff was there to pick up the pieces and flip the biscuit over Chadwick's shoulder to send the game to overtime.

A scoreless overtime period pushed the game into a shootout, where the Silvertips came out on top after three rounds and two goals by Carter Bear and Hemmerling to win 7-6.

Spokane went 1-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, but were outshot 48-28. Dawson Cowan posted 41 saves on the night.

Up next, the Chiefs will travel to Kelowna on Tuesday to take on the Rockets as then push for the playoffs continues.

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 10, 2024


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