LANGLEY, B.C. — For the second straight game the Everett Silvertips played without two of their top players.
But unlike a stellar all-around performance in Game 3, the Silvertips struggled mightily on defense and special teams on Friday night and fell to the Vancouver Giants 11-6 in Game 4 as the best-of-seven, first-round series became all square.
The Silvertips were missing leading scorer Jackson Berezowski (injury) and top point-getter Alex Swetlikoff (suspension) in the game, but a high-scoring first period saw Everett come out with a 3-2 lead.
Jacob Wright scored twice in the opening frame and Ryan Hofer added a goal as the Silvertips grabbed the momentum.
The Giants responded with four goals in the second, sandwiched around a goal from Hunter Campbell, as Vancouver claimed a 6-4 lead heading into the final intermission.
Two quick goals from Wright and Olen Zellweger early in the third brought the Silvertips even at 6-6. But the lead lasted mere minutes as the Giants scored five unanswered goals to grab the win and knot the series at two games apiece.
Vancouver’s 11 goals came on just 30 shots, including four power-play goals, and the Giants scored multiple goals in each period. Zack Ostapchuk, Fabian Lysell and Alex Cotton each scored twice for the Giants.
Braden Holt started in goal for the Silvertips and stopped nine of 13 shots before being relieved by Koen MacInnes, who saved 10 of 17 shots the rest of the way.
The series now moves to Everett for Game 5 on Saturday night with puck drop scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Angel of the Winds Arena.
Giants 11, Silvertips 6
Everett 3 1 2 — 6
Vancouver 2 4 5 — 11
1st Period-1, Vancouver, Hall 5 (Cotton, Ostapchuk), 3:18. 2, Everett, Wright 3 (Huuhtanen), 5:11. 3, Everett, Wright 4 (Hemmerling, Zellweger), 8:30 (PP). 4, Everett, Hofer 5 (Wright, Seeley), 11:16 (PP). 5, Vancouver, Ostapchuk 1 (Thorpe), 16:15 (PP). Penalties-Hofer Evt (cross checking), 3:57; Thorpe Van (cross checking), 3:57; Palmieri Van (holding), 7:42; Thorpe Van (high sticking), 10:38; Zellweger Evt (ineligible player ), 13:01; Lambos Evt (cross checking), 15:27; Huuhtanen Evt (roughing), 19:18; Lysell Van (roughing), 19:18.
2nd Period-6, Vancouver, Thorpe 1 (Horning), 1:03. 7, Vancouver, Cotton 2 (Pentecost, Lipinski), 5:00. 8, Everett, Campbell 1 (Zaplitny, Sutter), 9:48. 9, Vancouver, Cotton 3 (Horning, Ostapchuk), 13:32 (PP). 10, Vancouver, Lysell 2 (Ostapchuk), 15:47. Penalties-Lambos Evt (hooking), 12:34; Roest Evt (inter. on goaltender), 15:23; Thorpe Van (slashing), 15:23; Thorpe Van (hooking), 17:38.
3rd Period-11, Everett, Wright 5 (Hofer), 0:12. 12, Everett, Zellweger 2 (Ng), 2:49. 13, Vancouver, Ostapchuk 2 (Cotton, Horning), 5:55 (PP). 14, Vancouver, Langkow 2 (Leslie, Lies), 6:40. 15, Vancouver, Lysell 3 (Camazzola, Ostapchuk), 9:27. 16, Vancouver, Toth 1 (Hall), 14:14. 17, Vancouver, Bochek 1 (Cull), 19:46 (PP). Penalties-Zaplitny Evt (high sticking), 1:46; Cotton Van (tripping), 2:39; Sutter Evt (unsportsmanlike cnd., major-fighting), 5:28; Bochek Van (major-fighting), 5:28; Leslie Van (high sticking), 10:58; served by Lamanna Evt (too many men), 18:14; Lipinski Van (tripping), 18:33; Sutter Evt (cross checking), 19:38.
Shots on Goal-Everett 9-8-13-30. Vancouver 10-9-11-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Everett 2 / 6; Vancouver 4 / 7.
Goalies-Everett, Holt (13 shots-9 saves); MacInnes (17 shots-10 saves). Vancouver, Vikman (30 shots-24 saves).
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