SPOKANE — The Everett Silvertips’ Spokane Arena curse is officially done and dusted.
Everett won its third straight game in Spokane as the Silvertips defeated the Chiefs 3-2 Tuesday night.
Everett had gone four full years without winning in Spokane, losing 18 straight before finally ending its drought last March 12. But the Tips haven’t lost a road game to the Chiefs since.
Remi Laurencelle had a goal and an assist and Nikita Scherbak had two assists for Everett (32-15-3-1), which increased its lead atop the U.S. Division to three points over Portland. Brayden Low and Ivan Nikolishin scored the other goals for the Tips, while Austin Lotz picked up the win in goal with 19 saves.
Keanu Yamamoto and Dominic Zwerger scored for Spokane (24-22-3-1), which gave the Tips everything they could handle despite being severely depleted — the beat-up Chiefs had nine players scratched and played two skaters short. Garret Hughson made 16 saves in net for Spokane, which lost for the eighth time in its past 19 outings.
An eventful first period saw the teams combine to score four goals on just eight shots on net.
Spokane opened the scoring on the power play 5 minutes, 7 seconds into the game. Markson Bechtold walked out front and Yamamoto banged the puck in to give the Chiefs an early 1-0 lead.
Everett responded with two goals in just over two minutes to go ahead 2-1. Nikolishin had a centering pass deflect off the defense and past Hughson at 8:00. Then at 10:19 Laurencelle found Low alone in front, the Low put a backhander past Hughson to give the Tips the lead.
The Tips had a chance to extend their lead as they received a power play immediately afterward, but Everett couldn’t convert, and Spokane scored just four seconds after the penalty expired. Zwerger outmuscled Noah Juulsen for the puck and scored past Lotz to tie it at 2-2.
Everett regained the lead 11:27 into the second period. Nikita Scherbak fed Laurencelle on the rush and Laurencelle sniped the top corner to make it 3-2.
The Tips then had to hang on in the third as Spokane charged hard. Riley Whittingham had a free look at goal, but Lotz came up with the save. Then Everett defenseman Cole MacDonald kicked a puck away as it fluttered over Lotz and toward the net. Finally, the Tips killed off a late Spokane power play to survive.
Silvertips 3, Chiefs 2
Everett 2 1 0 — 3
Spokane 2 0 0 — 2
First Period—1, Spokane, Ke. Yamamoto 9 (Bechtold, Helewka), 5:07 (pp). 2, Everett, Nikolishin 15 (Fonteyne), 8:00. 3, Everett, Low 12 (Laurencelle, Scherbak), 10:19. 4, Spokane, Zwerger 11 (Helgesen, Stewart), 12:30. Penalties—Everett bench (too many men, served by Bajkov), 4:50; Laday, Spokane (interference), 10:26.
Second Period—5, Everett, Laurencelle 13 (Scherbak), 11:27. Penalties—Miske, Spokane (tripping), 16:00.
Third Period—no goals. Penalties—Low, Everett (checking from behind), 17:28.
Shots on goal—Everett 4-6-9—19. Spokane 4-3-14—21. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 2. Spokane 1 of 2.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 22-11-1-1 (21 shots, 19 saves). Spokane, Hughson 16-16-3-1 (19 shots, 16 saves).
A—3,285.
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