Spokane Chiefs Notebook: strong Eastern Conference road trip, despite 5-4 loss in Kamloops

A Western Hockey League season is bound to have a number of ups and downs.

Case in point: the Spokane Chiefs' last four games.

After winning three games in three nights during the team's Eastern Conference road trip, the Chiefs blew a 4-0 lead in Kamloops Tuesday night, losing 5-4 in overtime.

Goalie Tyson Verhelst left the game with a 4-0 lead due to injury. The Chiefs couldn't hold the lead in the third period in front of Verhelst's replacement, Matt Berlin.

Despite the loss, the Chiefs have won three of their last five games on the team's current road trip. After dropping a 6-2 game in Medicine Hat to open the road trip, the Chiefs reeled off three wins in three nights in Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton.

The Good News

Adam Helewka - the team's leading scorer last season - returned to the team and immediately made an impact. Helewka's first game back was in Medicine Hat, and he has seven points in his five games (four goals, three assists).

Getting Helewka back is a big relief for the Chiefs. It adds a proven scorer and a veteran to the lineup. Now, the Chiefs need to focus on keeping the puck out of their own net.

The Chiefs stay on the road for a game at Tri-City on Saturday before returning home to face off with the Everett Silvertips on Nov. 11.

The team's schedule thus far hasn't provided any favors. After this week, of the 18 games the team has played this season, just six have been at home.

Such is life in the Western Hockey League.

Video Vault: Chris Bruton and Kyle Beach

Hey, everybody remember Kyle Beach? He was an extremely talented hockey player with a knack for being dumb. He played most of his WHL games for the Everett Silvertips and wasn't a fan favorite during that time in Spokane.

Here are highlights from a game in 2008 in which Everett came to Spokane and beat the Chiefs.

But it was a Chief beating a Tip at the end of the game.

Beach had Spokane's Mitch Wahl locked up in front of the net after the horn sounded. Chiefs captain Chris Bruton didn't like that so he gave Beach a little shove. Fast forward to the 35-second mark to see what happens next:

I think Bruton was suspended for this punch and the Chiefs' then-head coach Bill Peters was fined for comments he made after the game about Beach. Fun times!

The Chiefs went on to win the Memorial Cup that season, and Beach eventually made his way to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Two seasons later, he was traded to....the Spokane Chiefs.