Winterhawks beat Silvertips

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Everett Silvertips got involved in a track meet with the Portland Winterhawks on Tuesday night. And the Winterhawks are not the type of team that loses many of those.

Everett couldn't keep pace with the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference and fell 7-4 at Memorial Coliseum.

The Tips hung tough with Portland for awhile as the score was tied 4-4 midway through the second period. However, Portland scored the game's final three goals to win going away.

Marcel Noebels and Joe Morrow each scored twice to lead Portland (31-14-2-1), which won its 18th consecutive home game. The streak is the longest in franchise history. Derrick Pouliot, Brendan Leipsic and Taylor Peters also scored for the Winterhawks, while Brendan Burke earned the win in goal with 29 saves.

Ryan Harrison scored twice to pace Everett (10-29-1-8). Zach McPhee and Reid Petryk scored the other goals for the Tips, while Kent Simpson stopped 36 shots in goal for Everett.

A frantic first period saw the teams trade goals as Portland emerged with a 3-2 lead.

Everett twice took the lead. McPhee opened the scoring at 5 minutes, 1 second, coming away from the corner with the puck and putting a backhander under Burke. Then Harrison scored at 11:58 as his centering feed deflected off a defender and past Burke.

But both times Portland tied it up. Morrow's shot from the circle beat Simpson at 8:32, and Noebels scored following a scramble at 18:32.

Then Portland received a late power play and took the lead with three seconds remaining, Pouliot putting in a rebound of Morrow's shot.

The madness continued in the second period as the goals continued to flow. Portland took a two-goal lead 3:04 into the period as Leipsic finished off a three-on-two rush.

Everett stormed back, scoring twice in a minute to tie it. Harrison scored on a tip on the power play at 11:31, then Petryk put in a rebound 48 seconds later to make it 4-4.

But Portland struck twice late in the period to restore its two-goal lead. Peters got around the defense and scored over Simpson at 14:51, then Noebels cleaned up the garbage when Simpson couldn't glove Pouliot's shot, making it 6-4.

Morrow added a slap shot from the point on the power play 4:34 into the third period, and the lead was never again threatened.

Winterhawks 7, Silvertips 4

Everett 2 2 0 -- 4

Portland 3 3 1 -- 7

First Period--1, Everett, McPhee 3 (Petryk), 5:01. 2, Portland, Morrow 13 (Gabriel, Wotherspoon), 8:32. 3, Everett, Harrison 12, 11:58. 4, Portland, Noebels 12 (Leier, Peters), 18:32. 5, Portland, Pouliot 7 (Morrow, Rattie), 19:57 (pp). Penalties--Fowlie, Everett (slashing), 19:53.

Second Period--6, Leipsic 15 (Gabriel, Ross), 3:04. 7, Everett, Harrison 13 (Yadlowski, Murray), 11:31 (pp). 8, Everett, Petryk 9 (Murray, Fowlie), 12:19. 9, Portland, Peters 10 (Leier, Rutkowski), 14:51. 10, Portland, Noebels 13 (Pouliot, Petan), 18:56. Penalties--Yadlowski, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:25; Rattie, Portland (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:25; Leier, Portland (tripping), 10:08.

Third Period--11, Portland, Morrow 14 (Rattie, Ross), 4:34 (pp). Penalties--Grayson, Everett (holding), 4:20; Leipsic, Portland (slashing), 8:45.

Shots on goal--Everett 12-8-13--33. Portland 20-14-9--43. Power-play opportunities--Everett 1 of 2. Portland 2 of 2.

Goalies--Everett, Simpson 8-24-1-5 (43 shots, 36 saves). Portland, Burke 2-2-1-1 (33 shots, 29 saves).

A--2,570.