Chiefs drop third straight at home, now trail Portland 3-2
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 15 years, 7 months AGO
SPOKANE - Portland center Ryan Johansen scored the eventual game-winning goal 8:34 into the third period, and the Winterhawks held on for a 4-3 win over Spokane in Game 5 of a Western Hockey League Western Conference first-round playoff series Saturday night before 4,540 at Spokane Arena.
Portland, now 7-0 in Spokane this season, takes a 3-2 series lead back to the Rose Garden, where the two teams will play Game 6 on Monday at 7 p.m. Spokane won the first two games of the series in Portland, and is 5-1 there this season.
Portland took a 3-0 lead after two periods, before Spokane's Jared Cowen scored on a power play from an assist by center Mitch Wahl and defenseman Jarred Spurgeon to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the third.
Wahl scored his second goal of the playoffs on an assist by left wing Kyle Beach and defenseman Corbin Baldwin to pull the Chiefs within 4-2.
Beach scored his team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs on an assist by defenseman Stefan Ulmer with 32 seconds remaining to pull Spokane within one goal.
Spokane went 1 of 6 on the power play. Portland was 2 for 3. The Chiefs outshot the Winterhawks 39-30.
James Reid had 26 saves for Spokane.
Game 7, if necessary, will be in Spokane on Wednesday night.