Tips take season series with 2-1 win over Chiefs

Published 11:46 pm Friday, February 22, 2008

SPOKANE — Should the Everett Silvertips ultimately face the Spokane Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs, they’ll do so with an important mental edge.

Goaltender Leland Irving turned in another sterling performance against Spokane, and Everett claimed the season series between the two teams by beating the Chiefs 2-1 Friday night.

The victory gave Everett (35-25-0-3) a 5-3 edge over Spokane (42-14-1-5) in the season series, despite the Chiefs’ superior overall record. If the current standings hold through the end of the season the Tips and Chiefs would meet in the first round of the playoffs.

The biggest factor in Everett’s success against Spokane this season has been Irving, and that was the story again Friday. Irving made several amazing saves in the first period and came 1 minute, 20 seconds away from his 21st career shutout, which would have tied Bryan Bridges’ WHL record. He finished with 34 saves.

Jordan Mistelbacher and Lukas Vartovnik found the net for Everett, which has a week off before resuming play next Friday at home against Seattle.

Judd Blackwater scored the late goal for Spokane, which remained two points behind idle Tri-City for first place in the Western Conference. Chiefs goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 20 saves.

Spokane controlled play in the first period, but a combination of a bad bounce and phenominal goaltending by Irving gave the Tips a 1-0 lead.

Mistelbacher scored 7:13 into the game, thanks to a little fortune. Mistelbacher’s shot as he crossed the blue line missed the goal, but the rebound off the glass behind the net took an awkward bounce right back to Mistelbacher, who scored with Tokarski looking the other way.

The rest of the period was an Irving spectacular as he made a string of unbelievable saves, twice robbing Drayson Bowman and also denying Chris Bruton.

After a scoreless second period Everett solidified its lead at 9:07 of the third. On the rush Zack Dailey fed Vartovnik cutting down the middle, and Vartovnik’s shot beat Tokarski to make it 2-0.

It looked like the Tips would coast to victory when presented a late power play, but the Chiefs scored while short-handed to make for a tense ending, Blackwater forcing the puck in after a mad dash by Trevor Glass.

Everett defenseman Paul Sohor made his WHL debut. The 1991-born Sohor was called up because of injuries to Taylor Ellington and Mike Alexander, as well as Graham Potuer’s suspension.

Silvertips 2, Chiefs 1

Everett101—2

Spokane001—1

@5. NHL box :First Period—1, Everett, Mistelbacher 9 (Kieffer), 7:13. Penalties—Harty, Everett (roughing), 7:13; Harty, Everett (interference), 10:50; Bauer, Everett (hooking), 16:47.

Second Period—No goals. Penalties—Compton, Spokane (hooking), 4:44; de la Lande, Everett (high sticking), 8:24; Beach, Everett (cross checking), 17:05.

Third Period—2, Everett, Vartovnik 10 (Dailey, Harty), 9:07. 3, Spokane, Blackwater 24 (Glass, Koper), 18:40 (sh). Penalties—Bartman, Spokane (roughing), 1:20; Cowen, Spokane (delay of game), 11:52; Bartman, Spokane (hooking), 17:46.

Shots on goal—Everett 9-7-6—22. Spokane 17-10-8—35. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 4. Spokane 0 of 5.

Goalies—Everett, Irving 25-21-0-3 (35 shots, 34 saves). Spokane, Tokarski 25-9-0-3 (22 shots, 20 saves). A—9,230.