Chiefs top Ams; will host opening round

KENNEWICK, Wash. - The Spokane Chiefs scored two power-play goals in a five-minute span in the third period to earn a 5-4 win over the Tri-City Americans in front of 6,053 at the Toyota Center on Saturday night.

Spokane clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will host No. 5 Portland in the first round of the Western Hockey League playoffs.

"I'm real happy with our win tonight," Spokane coach Hardy Sauter said. "It was a gusty performance by everyone on our team."

Former Coeur d'Alene Laker Tyler Johnson scored the Chiefs' first goal 56 seconds into the game and Mitch Wahl scored his 30th goal of the season to give Spokane an early 2-0 lead.

After Tri-City pulled to within 2-1, Corbin Baldwin scored from the blue line to put the Chiefs up 3-1 after the second.

Anthony Bardaro and Kenton Miller scored in the third for Spokane.

Spokane (44-23-3-2, 93 points) hosts Everett tonight at 6 at the Spokane Arena in the regular-season finale. Everett will need to either win the game in regulation or take the game into overtime to overtake Tri-City for the U.S. Division title.