Chiefs win playoff opener in OT

PORTLAND, Ore. — Luke Toporowski scored 2 minutes, 15 seconds into overtime as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Portland Winterhawks 4-3 in Game 1 of their Western Hockey League best-of-7 first-round playoff series Saturday night before 5,732 at Memorial Coliseum.

Game 2 is tonight at 5 at the Coliseum.

Toporowski lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Portland netminder Cole Kehler. A little over a minute earlier, Spokane goalkeeper Bailey Brkin stopped 41-goal scorer Kieffer Bellows on a one-on-one.

Nolan Reid scored late in the first period to put the Chiefs up 1-0 after one. After Portland tied it early in the second, Riley Woods scored 19 seconds later for the Chiefs.

The Winterhawks tied it at 2, then Hudson Elynuik answered with a power-play goal for the Chiefs.

Dennis Cholowski’s second goal of the period tied it at 3 for Portland after two.

Brkin had 20 of his 36 saves in a scoreless third period.

Toporowski and Woods each finished with a goal and two assists as Spokane beat Portland for the fourth straight time. The line of Toporowski, Woods and Jake McGrew combined for seven points.