Chiefs win regular-season finale

PORTLAND, Ore. — In their 72nd and final game of the regular season, the Spokane Chiefs accomplished two firsts for 2017-18: overcoming a three-goal deficit, then winning a shootout.

Spokane rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit to tie Sunday’s game in Portland, then scored the only goal in a shootout for a 5-4 victory over the Winterhawks before 8,170 at the Moda Center.

The Chiefs opened the scoring on Riley McKay’s goal in the first period, but the Winterhawks scored three times in the second period and early in the third to take a 4-1 lead.

Spokane’s Jake McGrew and Milos Fafrak scored within 37 seconds of each other midway through the third, then Nolan Reid tallied the equalizer with 21 seconds left, a power-play goal which sent the game to overtime.

In the shootout, the first three shooters for each team failed to score. McKay scored on Spokane’s fourth try, and Chiefs goaltender Donovan Buskey saved Portland’s fourth shootout attempt to clinch the victory. Buskey, Spokane’s backup goalie, earned his 10th win of the season and had 33 saves.

The Chiefs will return to Portland on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. for Game 1 of their playoff series. Game 2 is Sunday at the Moda Center before the series moves to Spokane for Games 3 and 4, on Wednesday and Thursday, March 28 and 29.