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Giants swept on home ice

WHL team loses to Everett Silvertips, Prince George Cougars
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Chase Lang of the Vancouver Giants looks on as Prince George Cougars goalie Ty Edmonds makes a save. Lang had two assists in a 6-4 loss to the Cougars Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum.

The Vancouver Giants lost back-to-back games for the first time in more than a month last weekend, failing to earn a point in a pair of home games at the Pacific Coliseum.

The Western Hockey League team fell 3-2 to the Everett Silvertips Friday night, then lost 6-4 to the Prince George Cougars Saturday evening.

The Giants had won four of five games heading into the weekend, but were handed consecutive regulation losses for the first time since Dec. 5-6. Ironically, those losses were to the Silvertips (3-1 in Everett) and Prince George (6-5 in Vancouver). Since then, the Giants were 9-3-1 (win-loss-overtime loss) heading into play last weekend, and making a charge for a playoff position.

Vancouver has now slipped back into the cellar of the Western Conference, but are just six points back of a playoff position.

The Silvertips broke a 2-2 tie with a goal midway through the second period, and maintained the one-goal lead for the final 33 minutes of the game.

Everett opened the scoring eight minutes into the first period, then Dmitry Osipov and Alec Baer struck for the Giants with a pair of goals just 18 seconds apart. Everett tied the game 80 seconds later.

Ryan Kubic made 19 saves on 22 shots, while the Giants took 23 shots at the Everett goal.

Saturday against Prince George, the home side scored three times in the second period and took a 4-3 lead into the final frame, but couldn’t hang on.

Trevor Cox was the Vancouver goal scorer in the first period, which ended with the Cougars up 2-1. Cox then assisted on goals by Thomas Foster and Ty Ronning in the first minute of the second period to give the Giants their first lead of the game.

After Prince George scored on the powerplay, Foster restored the Vancouver lead five minutes into the second period.

Prince George tied the game three minutes into the third period, took the lead with a powerplay goal at the six-minute mark, then scored into the empty net in the final minute.

Kubic was again in the Vancouver goal, stopping 33 of the 38 shots he faced.

The Giants played a pair of U.S. Division teams earlier this week, visiting the Portland Winterhawks Monday night and the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday.

They will play three home games next weekend, hosting the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Coliseum, before visiting the Victoria Royals for two games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.