The Spokane Chiefs appear to have figured out their one flaw: the ability to beat the Medicine Hat goaltending. Spokane rolled into Co-Op Place on Sunday and defeated the Tigers by a score of 6-2, tying the 2025 WHL Championship series at one game apiece.
Eerily similar to game one, where injury returnee and Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha opened the scoring for Medicine Hat, Cayden Lindstrom potted his first goal in nearly a calendar year to put his team up less than a minute into the opening frame. In a shocking series of events, this goal was assisted by none other than Hunter St. Martin and the aforementioned Basha, in that order.
While the big three shone for Spokane, it was a team effort up and down the lineup. Six players recorded multiple points, with captain Berkly Catton leading the way: a total of two goals and one assist in the win. On the other hand, 17-year-old phenom Gavin McKenna was held off the scoresheet for the first time in 54 games, bringing his legendary run to an end.
He may not have made as many saves as his Tiger counterpart Harrison Meneghin did in game one, Chiefs netminder Dawson Cowan turned aside 19 shots en route to a game two victory and the momentum turned heavily to his team's side heading back home for games 3-5.
Medicine Hat may have solved Spokane in the opening contest, but the Chiefs proved they will not go down quietly; this is a team that has posted 8+ goals in a game during these playoffs three separate times. In order for the Tigers to bring the series back home in their favour (or, should the cards fall a certain way, take it on the road) they will need to return to the run-and-gun, suffocating style of play that brought them early success.
The Chiefs were able to snap an 11-game win streak held by Medicine Hat, and have yet to drop multiple games in a row during the post-season. The two clubs have a day off for travel, before picking things back up on Tuesday in Spokane. Puck drop is set for 7:00pm PT.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
00:55- MH: Cayden Lindstrom (1) from Hunter St. Martin and Andrew Basha
6:50- SPO: Berkly Catton (10) from Shea Van Olm and Andrew Cristall
9:31- SPO: Rasmus Ekstrom (8) from Sam Oremba
10:12- SPO: Owen Martin (6) from Mathis Preston
11:36- SPO: Shea Van Olm (12) from Berkly Catton and Andrew Cristall
2nd Period:
5:55- MH: Bryce Pickford (9) from Tanner Molendyk
3rd Period:
12:07- SPO: Mathis Preston (9) from Owen Martin and Nathan Mayes
15:18- SPO: Berkly Catton (11) from Rasmus Ekstrom
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