SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Chiefs may not be the juggernaut unit of the 2024-25 season, but they may like it this way just the same.
“Yeah, it’s great to be the underdog. I’ve been the underdog before,” Chiefs left winger Sam Oremba said. “I guess you get a little less pressure, so. Like you said, they’re a physical team, they’re the higher seed. But, when it comes to playoffs, everybody’s 0-0, right? So, it’s the start of a new season. The boys are excited. We’re eager to get down there and get started.”
Spokane takes on the Prince George Cougars in a seven-game series starting this Friday night, Spokane the six seed taking on the three-seeded Cougars.
The Chiefs fell in all four regular-season meetings and in their last playoff date against Prince George two seasons ago, but Spokane is playing their best hockey right now after four wins in their final six games.
“When you can play past regular season, you’ve done something good,” Chiefs head coach Brad Lauer said. “I think that’s the most important thing, is yeah, we’ve had some adversity, which I think again, to go through during the regular season is good for the team to have those experiences. Because you’re going to face a little bit in the playoffs like we did last year. And I think we understand that. So, I think as we learn it, as we grew through the season, I thought our team game really got good down the stretch for the last few months and a half, two months. Really like the way we are.”
Spokane has a long road ahead to complete their first consecutive postseason trips with a series win since 2011-13.
“I think the biggest message is you can’t be leaving anything out there, whether that’s a hit or a shot block,” Chiefs captain Will McIsaac said. “It’s the most important things, the little things that we’re doing.”
Game 1 puck drop in Prince George is Friday at 7:00 p.m., and Spokane’s first home game of the series comes in Game 3 next Monday at 7:05 p.m.
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