Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series. (Kristin Ostrowski/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series. (Kristin Ostrowski/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Vancouver Giants win one, lose one in Washington

Series against Everett will resume in Langley on Wednesday

Vancouver Giants have returned home from Washington with a split on the road.

Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series.

Niko Huuhtanen paced the Silvertips attack with two goals and two assists while five other Silvertips notched multi-point games.

Ethan Semeniuk, Mazden Leslie and Alex Cotton responded with goals for the Giants. Braden Holt made 29 saves in the Everett net while Will Gurski stopped 38 for Vancouver.

Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series. (Kristin Ostrowski/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series. (Kristin Ostrowski/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Huuhtanen put Everett ahead early just 1:26 into the game on a power play one-timer from the left point. Olen Zellweger and Jacob Wright earned the assists.

At 15:09, Ryan Hofer made it 2-0 for Everett off a two-on-one rush down the right wing. Hofer’s second goal of the series was set up by Ben Hemmerling and Dylan Anderson.

Just under two minutes later at 17:03, Wright made it 3-0 for Everett when he finished off a back-door feed from Niko Huuhtanen. Ronan Seeley had the second assist.

The final goal for the period came at 18:39 from Huuhtanen who went through his own legs and up high from in close to secure his second of the night and his third of the series. Hofer had the lone assist.

READ ALSO: Vancouver Giants beat Everett in Washington

Giants forward Payton Mount left the game late in the first period after he was hit by Alex Swetlikoff. Swetlikoff was assessed a double-minor penalty for checking-from-behind. Mount did not return to the game for Vancouver.

Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series. (Kristin Ostrowski/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Saturday night, April 23, in Everett, the Giants fell 7-3 to the Everett Silvertips in Game 2 of their first-round series. (Kristin Ostrowski/Special to Langley Advance Times)

With the Giants on a five-on-three power play to start the second period, Ethan Semeniuk struck for his first of the series on his own rebound in close. Fabian Lysell and Zack Ostapchuk both assisted.

Everett’s fifth goal came from Olen Zellweger off a low shot from the right-wing point. Ty Gibson and Austin Roest both factored in on the goal.

Mazden Leslie moved the Giants back within three at the 13:25 mark when he followed up a Ty Thorpe breakaway and roofed home the rebound for his first career WHL playoff goal. Thorpe and Adam Hall both assisted.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Vancouver Giants clinch final WHL playoff spot

At 3:20 into the third period, Michael Gut converted on a five-on-three power play attempt for Everett. Gut’s goal was set up by Olen Zellweger and Niko Huuhtanen.

Everett’s final goal came from Ronan Seeley at 7:44 when a puck squirted loose from the Giants goal crease and onto his stick below the left-wing circle. Austin Roest and Hunter Campbell had the assists.

With only 20 seconds left in the game, Alex Cotton notched his second goal of the playoffs on a power play from a right-wing point shot. Jaden Lipinski and Connor Horning each assisted.

Giants and Silvertips next game goes Wednesday, April 27th on home ice at the Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m.


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