Silvertips open 2nd half with loss

LANGLEY, British Columbia — The Everett Silvertips opened the second half of the 2016-17 season the same place they opened the first half.

The result, however, was starkly different as the Vancouver Giants topped the Tips 5-4 in overtime before 4,317 fans Tuesday at Langley Events Centre.

It was the second straight time these teams needed extra time to decide the outcome. The U.S. Division-leading Silvertips (24-4-6-0, 54 points) defeated the Giants (14-18-1-2, 31 points) 5-4 in a shootout back on Dec. 9.

Everett now has recorded points in 11 of its last 12 games despite seeing its three-game winning streak snapped after a week-long WHL holiday break.

Ty Ronning tipped in Matt Barberis’s point shot just 31 seconds into overtime for the game-winner as the Giants beat the Tips for the first time in four match-ups this season.

Mario Petit saw his three-game wining streak snapped as he allowed five goals on 26 shots to fall to 7-1-2-0 as he continues to see time in net with Carter Hart away with Team Canada for the World Junior Championship.

The defeat sullied a two-goal effort from Tips forward Dominic Zwerger, who found the net twice in the second period as Everett erased a two-goal deficit and briefly took the lead.

With Everett trailing 3-1 through one, Zwerger’s first goal came just 41 seconds into the period to pull the Tips within one. Six minutes later Zwerger was assessed an embellishment penalty and Everett head coach Kevin Constantine was issued a game misconduct and ejected when he argued the call.

Everett killed off the 5-on-3 penalty before Zwerger tied it on the power play at 11:45, and Connor Dewar gave the Tips the lead at 13:44.

James Malm tied it 4-4 at 17:08 with a tough-angle look that snuck by Petit, and that’s how the teams went into the second intermission.

The Giants erased an early 1-0 deficit with three goals in quick succession in the middle of the opening period.

Alec Baer tied the game on the power play with a backdoor feed from Thomas Foster at 10:16. Brendan Semchuk gave the Giants the lead on the very next shift at 10:30, and Owen Hardy’s second goal of the season pushed the advantage to 3-1 at 12:27.

Eetu Tuulola took advantage of a Vancouver turnover to give Everett the lead with a rocket past Ryan Kubic at 4:09. It was Tuulola’s ninth goal of the season and extended his point streak to three consecutive games.

Zwerger now has points in eight straight games. He had a 10-game point streak earlier in the season.

Everett outshot Vancouver 34-26.

The teams head to Xfinity Arena for a 7:05 contest tonight.

Giants 5, Silvertips 4 (OT)

Everett 1 3 0 0 – 4

Vancouver 3 1 0 1 – 5

1st Period-1, Everett, Tuulola 9 4:09. 2, Vancouver, Baer 3 (Foster, Benson), 10:16 (PP). 3, Vancouver, Semchuk 5 (Malm, Osipov), 10:30. 4, Vancouver, Hardy 2 (Baer, Malm), 12:27. Penalties-Osipov Van (hooking), 6:24; Onyebuchi Evt (checking to the head), 8:31.

2nd Period-5, Everett, Zwerger 14 0:41. 6, Everett, Zwerger 15 (Davis, Sutter), 11:45 (PP). 7, Everett, Dewar 5 (Kemp), 13:44. 8, Vancouver, Malm 9 (Semchuk, Flaman), 17:08. Penalties-Kichton Van (tripping), 3:00; served by Sutter Evt (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 6:49; Zwerger Evt (embellishment), 6:49; Rayman Van (boarding), 9:46; Semchuk Van (slashing), 11:42; Dewar Evt (kneeing), 14:11.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Rattie Van (hooking), 2:26; DeRoose Van (kneeing), 6:13.

OT Period-9, Vancouver, Ronning 12 (Barberis, Benson), 0:31. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Everett 11-12-11-0-34. Vancouver 10-11-4-1-26.

Power Play Opportunities-Everett 1 / 6; Vancouver 1 / 4.

Goalies-Everett, Petit 7-1-2-0 (26 shots-21 saves). Vancouver, Kubic 12-14-1-2 (34 shots-30 saves).

A-4,317