SPOKANE — Short-handed at the back, the Everett Silvertips were no match for the team with the best record in the Western Hockey League.
The Spokane Chiefs controlled play most of the game and handed Everett its fifth straight loss, winning 4-1 Wednesday night.
Everett got into early penalty trouble, which allowed Spokane to grab the lead. Then the Chiefs built that lead to 3-0 to secure the game.
Justin McCrae, Trevor Glass, Chris Bruton and Levko Koper scored, and Dustin Tokarski stopped 30 shots for Spokane (39-10-1-4), which reclaimed its spot atop the league. The Chiefs now have 83 points, hurdling idle Calgary which has 82.
Lukas Vartovnik scored the lone goal for Everett (29-25-0-2), which was playing without three of its top five defensemen because of injury or illness. Leland Irving had a valiant performance in goal for the Tips, making several spectacular saves among his 34.
The loss, combined with Seattle’s 6-3 victory over Kamloops, caused the Tips to tumble to sixth in the Western Conference standings, one point behind the T-birds.
Everett spent almost the first 14 minutes of the game short-handed. The Tips took five straight penalties in the first 11:22, twice giving the Chiefs five-on-threes.
Spokane took advantage on the second of those five-on-threes. Just as the five-on-three expired McCrae slapped a shot past Irving from the left circle to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 7:00.
Spokane then doubled its lead at 13:37 of the second period. McCrae broke loose into the Everett zone and although he was turned away by Irving, Glass followed the play from his defensive position and scored on the rebound to make it 2-0.
The Chiefs made it 3-0 1:46 into the third period when Bruton got around his marker, cut across goal and flipped a shot over a sprawled-out Irving.
Everett gave itself a glimmer of hope at 4:30. Glass fell down, presenting the Tips with a two-on-one. Matt Ius set up Vartovnik to make it 3-1.
However, the Chiefs killed off any thoughts of a dramatic comeback with their fourth goal at 8:18. On the rush Tyler Johnson took the puck deep and passed it back out front, where Koper shot it in to complete the scoring.
Everett was without defensemen Taylor Ellington (foot), Graham Potuer (flu) and Mike Alexander (shoulder), meaning three rookies along with center Zack Dailey were among the Tips’ six D-men.
Chiefs 4, Silvertips 1
Everett001—1
Spokane112—4
@5. NHL box :First Period—1, Spokane, McCrae 15 (Spurgeon, Bruton), 7:00 (pp). Penalties—English, Everett (roughing), 3:52; de la Lande, Everett (hooking), 4:59; Hamill, Everett (hooking), 6:15; Kieffer, Everett (tripping), 8:01; Gendur, Everett (slashing), 11:22; Cowen, Spokane (hooking), 16:25; Spurgeon, Spokane (high sticking), 17:49.
Second Period—2, Spokane, Glass 7 (McCrae, Blackwater), 13:37. Penalties—Ulmer, Spokane (hooking), 1:59; Bauer, Everett (roughing), 7:46; English, Everett (fighting), 10:13; Letts, Spokane (fighting), 10:13.
Third Period—3, Spokane, Bruton 21, 1:46. 4, Everett, Vartovnik 8 (Ius, Harty), 4:30. 5, Spokane, Koper 10 (Johnson, Glass), 8:18. Penalties—English, Everett (fighting), 3:07; Letts, Spokane (fighting), 3:07; Reddington, Spokane (interference), 5:04; Hamill, Everett (cross checking), 9:01; Bauer, Everett (fighting), 9:01; McCrae, Spokane (instigator-fighting-10-minute misconduct), 9:01; Compton, Spokane (hooking), 16:34.
Shots on goal—Everett 11-9-11—31. Spokane 17-9-12—38. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 5. Spokane 1 of 6. Goalies—Everett, Irving 21-21-0-2 (38 shots, 34 saves). Spokane, Tokarski 23-5-0-2 (31 shots, 30 saves). A—3,616.
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