SPOKANE — The streak is over.
And it was a former Everett Silvertip who thrust the final dagger to stop it.
Former Tip Kyle Beach scored the tiebreaking goal for Spokane midway through the third period, and Everett saw its winning streak end at 14 with a 2-1 loss to the Chiefs on Wednesday night.
Beach banked the puck off the back of Everett goaltender Kent Simpson on the power play with 9 minutes, 23 seconds remaining, snapping a 1-1 tie. The Tips were unable to tie it back up down the stretch, despite finishing the game on the power play.
The loss ended what was a franchise-record winning streak for the Tips. Everett also finished in a tie with Kootenay for the longest winning streak in the WHL this season.
Tyler Johnson scored the other goal for Spokane and James Reid made 19 saves in goal for the Chiefs (30-19-3-1), who pulled within five points of Everett for second place in the U.S. Division.
Kellan Tochkin scored the lone goal for Everett (33-17-2-1), which tasted defeat for the first time in 2010. Silvertips winger Shane Harper had his franchise-record goal-scoring streak stopped at six games. Harper holds that record jointly with Byron Froese.
Simpson was the hard-luck loser, finishing with 31 saves in a valiant effort in goal. His efforts included saving a Blake Gal penalty shot late in the third period to keep it a one-goal game.
Spokane opened the scoring 6:59 into the contest. The Chiefs broke two-on-one, with Levko Koper setting up Johnson for the one-timer as the Chiefs took a 1-0 lead. It was the first time in five games that Everett, and specifically Harper, didn’t score the game’s first goal.
The Tips tied it up at 12:50. A deflected pass squirted loose in the slot, where Tochkin latched into the puck and fired a shot into the top of the net, knotting the score at 1-1.
The second period was all Spokane as the Chiefs outshot the Tips 14-4. However, Simpson made several good saves to keep it 1-1 going into the third.
Spokane then got its third power-play of the game midway through the third period. The Chiefs threatened in their first two without scoring, but they finally cashed in thanks to Beach.
Everett didn’t receive a power play until 1:18 remained, and the Tips were unable to convert on their only opportunity of the game.
Chiefs 2, Silvertips 1
Everett100—1
Spokane101—2
First Period — 1, Spokane, Johnson 22 (Koper), 6:59. 2, Everett, Tochkin 19 (MacDonald, Cumiskey), 12:50. Penalties — Elynuik, Everett (fighting), 8:26; Baldwin, Spokane (fighting), 8:26; Gudas, Everett (tripping), 16:46.
Second Period — no goals. Penalties — de la Lande, Everett (hooking), 3:20.
Third Period — 3, Spokane, Beach 35 (Johnson, Cowen), 10:37 (pp). Penalties — Rissanen, Everett (slashing), 1:19; Beach, Spokane (unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:19; Theriau, Everett (interference), 9:08; Tochkin, Everett (high sticking), 11:01; Cowen, Spokane (tripping), 18:42.
Shots on goal — Everett 10-4-6 — 20. Spokane 10-14-9 — 33. Power-play opportunities — Everett 0 of 1. Spokane 1 of 4.
Goalies — Everett, Simpson 16-9-1-0 (33 shots, 31 saves). Spokane, Reid 25-13-3-1 (20 shots, 19 saves).
A — 3,419.
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