VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Everett Silvertips just can’t seem to solve the Vancouver Giants.
Everett lost to Vancouver for the fourth straight time, falling 4-2 Friday night in a Western Hockey League game.
Jason Reese broke a 2-2 tie at 6 minutes, 41 seconds for Vancouver (24-17-1-2), which is 4-0 against Everett (20-15-6-2) this season. The teams meet again tonight in Everett.
Cam Cunning and Triston Grant also scored for the Giants and Gilbert Brule added an empty-net goal in the final minute. Marek Schwarz made 21 saves in goal for Vancouver.
Torrie Wheat and Michael Wuchterl scored for injury-depleted Everett, which lost its third straight.
Vancouver took the lead with a power-play goal at 9:07 of the first period when Cody Franson’s shot from the point was tipped in by Cunning. The goal was Cunning’s first since joining the Giants at Monday’s trade deadline.
The Giants then doubled their lead with a five-on-three power-play goal at 9:07 of the second period.
But Everett got back into the game late in the second period thanks to a pair of rebound goals. First, on the power play, Wheat scored his 16th goal on the season on a rebound of a Shaun Heshka shot at 16:02. Then 1:43 later, Wuchterl scored his second of the season, banging in the rebound on Mitch Love’s shot.
But it was another rebound goal that gave Vancouver the lead for good as Reese scored his second of the season, putting in the rebound after Franson’s shot.
Slap shots: Wheat returned to the Everett lineup Friday after sitting out Tuesday’s loss to Kootenay because of the flu. Centers Zach Hamill and Mark Kress and left wings Tyler Dietrich and Brennan Zasitko remained sidelined by injuries. … Hockey legend Gordie Howe was in attendance Friday. He was signing his latest book, Mr. &Mrs. Hockey, and dropped the first puck.
Giants 4, Silvertips 2
Everett020-2
Vancouver112-4
First Period-1, Vancouver, Cunning 15 (Franson), 9:07 (pp). Second Period-2, Vancouver, Grant 17 (Robinson, Courchaine), 9:07 (pp). 3, Everett, Wheat 16 (Heshka, Leavitt), 16:02 (pp). 4, Everett, Wuchterl 2 (Love, Thoring), 17:45. Third Period-5, Vancouver, Reese 2 (Franson), 6:41. 6, Vancouver, Brule 24 (Cunning, Courchaine), 19:23 (en). Shots on goal-Everett 10-9-4-23. Vancouver 7-10-11-28. Power-play opportunities-Everett 1 of 4. Vancouver 2 of 6. Goalies-Everett, Irving 5-4-1 (27 shots, 24 saves). Vancouver, Schwarz 17-13-1 (23 shots, 21 saves).
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