KENNEWICK — The third-period yips caught the Everett Silvertips again Sunday evening.
The Tri-City Americans scored twice in the third period as they came from behind to defeat the Tips 3-2.
Everett had serious problems holding third-period leads during the final six weeks of the first half, often surrendering initiative to the opposition when holding a late lead. The Tips didn’t surrender the initiative this time, but the Americans used a good shift on the power play, then a good pass in transition to get the goals that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Justin Gutierrez scored the game-winning goal, and Parker Wotherspoon scored twice to lead Tri-City (18-16-0-1). Evan Sarthou played a solid game in net for the Americans, making 28 saves.
Nikita Scherbak and Noah Juulsen scored for Everett (21-10-3-1). Austin Lotz made 18 saves in net for the Tips.
Everett entered the third period with a 2-1 lead. However, the Americans received a power play midway through the period, and they scored just as it expired. Tri-City held the puck in the offensive zone for a long stretch, and the tired Everett defenders couldn’t get to Wotherspoon as he scored from the right circle at 10 minutes, 22 seconds to tie the score.
The Americans then took the lead with 6:03 remaining. Ty Comrie made a great pass in transition, finding Gutierrez all alone in front. Gutierrez scored past Lotz to give Tri-City a lead it wouldn’t surrender.
Everett opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game. Defenseman Tristen Pfeifer, playing for the first time in since Nov. 26 because of an upper-body injury, kept the puck in the offensive zone, giving Brayden Low the chance to make a cross-crease feed for Scherbak to put away, making it 1-0 at 2:14.
Tri-City tied it on a great solo effort by Wotherspoon at 12:22. The defenseman picked up the puck in his own zone, slalomed his way up the ice, then wired a shot into the top corner to make it 1-1.
The Tips regained the lead late in the second period. Ben Betker’s shot from the point went wide. However, the puck went off the back boards to Juulsen at the opposite point, and Juulsen’s shot just trickled past Sarthou to make it 2-1 at 16:10.
Americans 3, Silvertips 2
Everett 1 1 0 — 2
Vancouver 1 0 2 — 3
First Period—1, Everett, Scherbak 17 (Low, Pfeifer), 2:14. 2, Tri-City, Wotherspoon 7 (O’Reilly), 12:22. Penalties—Vickerman, Tri-City (hooking), 2:55; Scherbak, Everett (tripping), 3:27; Low, Everett (fighting), 6:27; Hamonic, Tri-City (fighting), 6:27; Mykitiuk, Everett (slashing), 8:13.
Second Period—3, Everett, Juulsen 4 (Betker, Leedahl), 16:10. Penalties—Laurencelle, Everett (checking from behind), 2:51; James, Tri-City (hooking), 5:30; Nejezchleb, Tri-City (cross checking), 8:45.
Third Period—4, Tri-City, Wotherspoon 8 (Nejezchleb, Williams), 10:22. 5, Tri-City, Gutierrez 5 (T. Comrie, Vickerman), 13:57. Penalties—Nikolishin, Everett (interference), 8:20; Low, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:20; O’Reilly, Tri-City (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:20.
Shots on goal—Everett 12-8-10—30. Tri-City 5-5-11—21. Power-play opportunities—Everett 0 of 4. Tri-City 0 of 4.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 16-7-1-1 (21 shots, 18 saves). Tri-City, Sarthou 4-6-0-1 (30 shots, 28 saves).
A—4,104.
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