Silvertips survive physical match to get 2-1 victory

EVERETT — It's the Vancouver Giants with "2007 Memorial Cup champions" emblazoned on the side of their team bus, so it was no surprise that 8,320 showed up in Everett on Saturday to see whether the Silvertips could knock them off.

Few went away disappointed as the Everett held on to take a 2-1 decision from the defending champs.

Kyle Beach scored the game-winning goal in the second period and the Silvertips won despite taking only a single shot in the final period.

Everett had to kill off two penalties late in the game and survived a six-on-four attack after the Giants pulled goaltender Kraymer Barnstable for an extra attacker.

"I could barely stand up on that last penalty kill," Beach said after being on the ice for most of the third period. "I was just dying to hear that final buzzer sound. We were desperate to get the puck out, we couldn't do it, but we managed to shut them down."

Everett defenseman Graham Potuer said standing up to the physical Giants was the key to the win.

"From the forwards right back to the defense, everybody was crashing and banging," Potuer said. "They're a great team, and that's what you have to do if you're going to have success against them."

The Silvertips had to do it without Zack Dailey, Everett's best penalty killer, who left the game in the first period with an injury. That meant a lot of double shifts for all the Everett forwards.

Clayton Bauer, who was acquired in a trade earlier this week with Red Deer, scored his first goal in an Everett uniform to give the Silvertips a lead late the first period.

The Silvertips went up 2-0 in the second when Shane Harper made a perfect pass to Beach, who was streaking to the net for his 17th goal of the season. Beach is second in the WHL in scoring.

James Wright scored for Vancouver with five minutes left.

"Vancouver is a team where you just can't let up," Everett coach John Becanic said. "They challenge you to be their best. If you're not at your best, you're not going to beat them."

The Silvertips travel to Chilliwack this afternoon for a rematch with the Bruins. Chilliwack took a 2-1 win in overtime in Everett on Wednesday.