Spokane beats Belleville in OT!!!

[PLAYER]

Spokane takes first game 5-4. Bowman gets first star

Keep it up boys!!! :clap:

[HomerSimpson]

W - O - W

What a first period the Chiefs played! We outskated, outhit, outshot, outworked and schooled the Bulls to what seemed like annihilation. 20-4 were the shots, 3-0 was the score. We were on top of the junior hockey world as soon as we hit the ice.

And then...there was the next 30 minutes of hockey. We looked sluggish, dull, about as non-creative as the team has looked all year, handing the Bulls back a 4-3 lead. From the start of the 2nd on, we didn't play well...IMO not even into the overtime, we should all consider ourselves lucky to come away with this win. Hats off to Brutes, Wahl and Bowman for their performance tonight as they truly carried the team. Judder had a strong offensive game as well. Good shot totals, good effort for the most part, but if we're going to beat Kitchener and have any shot at winning this thing, we have to turn in a better 60 minute performance.

What a thriller this one made for, eh? I liked the comparisons I heard to the Ams' style of play...they were very similar in the ways that Subban could have been Fast, and that Tanaka kid played Yellow Horn to a tee being the right guy in the right place every so often.

[Scout]

Belleville vs. Spokane
Spokane Chiefs beat Belleville Bulls 5-4 in overtime.

7:11 p.m. Spokane score to win it in overtime at 4:46 into overtime.

7:06 Turkiewicz of Bulls races to the net. He and defenceman fall and hit the goalie and knock the net off.

7:05 Murphy makes a kick save.

7:05 Overtime begins.

6:57 Interviewer asks Drayson Bowman of the Chiefs whether they can "afford to make any changes." Bowman says they can't.

Second game of the tournament; second game that goes to overtime.

6:49 It's going to overtime. Buzzer goes. Blackwater and Lolonde trade shoves at the end.

6:47 Two minutes left. Murphy makes a glove save.

6:42 Clock's back on. 3:02 left in the third. Oh, Spokane scores. 4-4 Drayson Bowman scored it.

6:40 The clock has gone out at The Aud. They say it will take a minute to fire up the clock again (how do they know).

6:35 Belleville goalie Mike Murphy falls on the puck to protect the Bulls lead.

6:33 Six and a half minutes to go in regulation.

6:24 Eight minutes into the third, Perry quick passes across the net to Cory Tanaka who pops it into the open side of the net. Bulls pull ahead for the first time. 4-3 Bulls

6:14 At 2:43 into the third, coincidental penalties. The ice will open up for a bit.

6:02 p.m. Interview with Shawn Matthias of the Bulls. "We got to keep our foot on the gas. We can't let up. They're a good team."

5:51 Second intermission. Spokane scored three in the first. Belleville scored three in the second. 3-3

5:49 Malone takes it coast to coast. Takes a shot. Deflected. Cleared. Slapshot from afar. Rebound. Cory Tanaka knocks it in. 3-3.

5:38 Matthias is there again and scores to pull within one. 3-2

5:37 Shawn Matthias by himself out front. Shot stopped.

5:36 Penalty against Chiefs. Bulls get a powerplay.

5:35 After a few rushes by Spokane, Belleville brings it back. There's a tussle at the net and it gets whistled. Game's first penalty coming up.

5:26 Quick interview with Belleville coach George Burnett, "They're winning most of the battles and we have to get better."

5:17 Belleville gets on the board. 3-1 Scored by Cameron at 2:20 in.

5:14 Second period begins.

4:56 Period ends.

4:52 From down on the ice Murphy saves a shot with his leg.

4:50 Another goal 3-0 with three minutes left in the first.

4:48 Another chance stopped in front of the Bulls' net leads to a staredown. Refs break it up and play restarts.

4:45 Bulls' netminder Murphy dives out, captures the puck, keeping his team at two behind.

4:42 Spokane's goals were 2:30 apart.

4:39 Spokane intercept a pass in Belleville's zone with two reds in deep a few quick passes and a shot make it Chiefs 2 - Bulls 0

4:37 10 minutes in, Nigel Williams gets a quick break and hits it upstairs to make it 1-0 for Spokane.

4:32 The game is starting to open up.

[LifelongChiefsFan]

This game was the Chiefs' tournament, imo. I knew they weren't going to play their best hockey after the long layoff, but they had some disheartening mental collapses in the second period. Giving up 3 goals in one period is almost unthinkable for this team. It was great to see them battle back, but in a tournament like this there are no moral victories. Teams that lose their first game rarely win the Memorial Cup. So to get this was was huge and barring a horrible collapse means the Chiefs should be able to at least make it to the semifinal. If one team goes 0-3 they are guaranteed to be in so this was huge.

Having said that I don't want to take anything away from Belleville they are an excellent hockey team. Big and punishing, and they sure have a few gifted players. Matthias was excellent and Tanaka had a good game although the announcers made it sound like he isn't much of a scorer. Also, Murphy played an unreal game. He plays more of an unconventional style, but he is going to be a stud goaltender one day imo.

I was pleased by the reffing in this game. Only 3 penalties total, meaning they let the teams play their game without disrupting the flow (although for much of the game the flow wasn't all that great) and they didn't appear to miss any major penalties on either side. The Chiefs need to work on their PP some though. They looked a bit passive and while Belleville was only 1-2 on the PP, their second goal only came a few seconds after the 2nd penalty expired. I think clearing the zone was the biggest area where the Chiefs struggled this game, there were several times where Belleville had good chances after the Chiefs failed to control the puck. Hopefully that is attributed more to jitters and the long layoff and will correct itself as the Chiefs play more and ease into the tournament.

Overall though I thought the Chiefs played a solid game and were the better team barring some defensive lapses in the 2nd. The Bruton line was spectacular and both the Roman and McCrae lines were solid. I would liked to have seen the Compton line get more ice time than they did though, I thought they played well when on the ice and didn't look over matched. Hopefully they get more ice time tomorrow. I've never been as happy about a faulty score clock as I was today though as the stoppage led to the face off in Belleville's zone from which the Chiefs scored the tying goal. Pretty unbelievable. Looking back on the game, I'd give the team a B- overall which is about how I thought they would play considering the long layoff.

I think tomorrow is going to be an excellent game. It doesn't get any easier facing Kitchener who is going to have the home crowd behind them. I expect good flow to the game game now that both teams each have a win under their belts and are hopefully brimming with confidence after getting wins. Tomorrow's game could have a big influence on who gets they bye to the championship game. Here's to Spokane keeping the offensive tempo up, tightening their defense and playing Chiefs hockey in their biggest game of the season so far. :thumb:

Go Chiefs Go!!

[Chief Jeff]

What a weird game this one was. Chiefs come out and play the best period of hockey they have played all playoff year, Then follow it up with probably their worst. Give Belleville credit for coming out hard in the second and also to their coach for changing up lines. Seems like most of the goals the Chiefs give up are after someone has an opportunity to clear the zone and hold it too long or make a bad pass. That was certainly the case tonight. Tokarski probably should have had the first goal, but didn't have a much of a chance on the other three. Gritty win at the end with a couple of greasy ones. If they win tommorrow they have the inside track to the Final.

[Scout]

Bulls comeback doesn't last, Chiefs win 5-4 OT
By Josh Brown, Record Staff

KITCHENER — Maybe the Spokane Chiefs didn't get the memo. After all, the Belleville Bulls are the comeback kids.


The eastern Ontario bunch were all but toast in the Ontario Hockey League championship earlier this month. Down three games to none, the Bulls rallied to win three straight before losing the all important Game 7 to the Kitchener Rangers.


So, even though the Chiefs had a comfortable 3-0 lead after one period in today's Memorial Cup tilt, they had to know that it wasn't safe. Didn't they? At least, not against Belleville.


Sure enough, the Bulls, right on cue, roared back to tie the game and send it to overtime before a packed house at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. But the Chiefs quelled the dramatics by notching the winner in extra time.


Levko Koper was the hero. His marker at 4:46 clinched the victory. It was the second straight overtime decision at the Memorial Cup. Last night, the Kitchener Rangers edged Quebec champs Gatineau 6-5 in OT.


Spokane's Drayson Bowman broke the goose egg midway through the first period. The Chiefs' regular season leading scorer broke free from Belleville defender Shawn Lalonde and roofed the puck over the blocker of Bulls goalie Mike Murphy for a 1-0 lead.


Centre Mitch Wahl scored about three minutes later off a Belleville turnover, this time beating Murphy high on the glove side. Bowman added his second of the period off an odd man rush. Murphy made the initial save but the rebound bounced out front and Bowman buried it before Belleville had a chance to clear the puck.


The Chiefs outshot the Ontario Hockey League finalists 20-4 in the opening frame.
Belleville came out in the second with a bit more pep and it paid off. Bryan Cameron's wrister from the slot stayed low to the ground and slipped past Chiefs goalie Dustin Tokarski just more than two minutes into the period. It was just Belleville's fifth shot of the contest.


Bulls forward Shawn Matthias, who missed all but one game in the OHL playoffs due to a bout with mono, fooled Tokarski with a wrist shot of his own on the power play before Cory Tanaka evened the game 3-3, also on the power play, in the final minute of play in the period. Tanaka broke the tie with his second of the game midway through the third period off a nifty pass from Adam Perry.


Bowman completed the hat trick for Spokane with less than three minutes left to send the game to overtime.


The Bulls were outshot 54-32 but goalie Mike Murphy showed why he was named OHL goaltender of the year. The Kingston-area keeper was sensational all game.


Bowman was named first star of the game, Belleville's Cory Tanaka was second and Koper third.


Belleville returns to action Monday against Gatineau at 7 p.m. Spokane is back in action tomorrow against the Kitchener Rangers at 4:30 p.m.

[HURRICANE'S ROCK]

Wierd game in that the first period was the team we saw against the Canes but after that either the Bulls got faster or Spoke slowed down a step. Probably a bit of both. I agree with Chief Jeff and LifelongChiefFan about clearing/breaking out of the zone. You guys have a whole different system of getting our of your zone than most or all other teams. You make little tick tack toe passes from one guy to the next or make passes up and across the middle to an open forward still in your zone etc. You rarely if ever fire it up the boards or lob it out. It worked well against the Canes and for parts of this game but the Bulls started cutting off the lanes and intercepted and scored on the turn over on those cute little passes. Since that has worked so well for you, gives you puck possesion and leads to your great transition game, it is not for me to say change it a bit. But maybe a few more dump outs will work to keep the other team from getting so aggressive on trying to pick off those little passes because they might get caught deep.
Having said all that, if it was not for the Bull's goalie and some goal posts, this game would have been a blowout.

Go Chiefs Go!!!!!!!!!

[HomerSimpson]

It's funny - the Bulls may be the comeback kids, but they have trouble finishing their comebacks (lost in game 7, lost in OT against Spokane).

"Too little, too late kids?" :skeptical