ECHL Florida Everblades

Blades are Best in ECHL at All-Star Break After 4-3 Win at Charlotte

January 18, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


CHARLOTTE, NC - The Florida Everblades (28-8-2) kept the good times rolling as they finished off a busy five-games in six-nights stretch with a hard fought 4-3 win over the Charlotte Checkers (19-17-4) on Sunday evening at Time Warner Cable Arena. Goaltender David Leggio tabbed his sixth straight win as the Everblades pushed their overall win streak to nine. The two-point night gives the Everblades an ECHL best 58 points as the club hits the All-Star break.

A quick-paced first period saw each team get on the scoreboard. The Everblades opened the scoring with their 10th short-handed goal of the year at 7:11 of the period. With the Checkers carrying the puck through the neutral zone, Ryan Lang poked the puck free and raced in on Charlotte goaltender Jeff Jakaitis alone before deking and slipping a backhand shot past him for his 13th goal of season.

Charlotte however managed to force a tie late in the period on a goal credited to Mike Bayrack with just 42 seconds left in the frame. On the play, Bayrack brought the puck down the right boards and cut to the net. Although the puck rolled off his stick, Everblades defenseman Doug O'Brien, trying to clear the puck out of danger, inadvertently swept it into the net, evening the score at one.

As the second period began the Everblades slowly began to take control of the game eventually tallying a pair of goals to carry a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.

The first of the Florida goals came 7:45 into the period on a nice play by Brad Zanon to keep the puck in the zone at the blue line before feeding a pass to O'Brien in the left circle. From there O'Brien left traffic develop in front of the Checkers net before letting a slap shot fly that sailed past Jakaitis for his fourth goal of the year.

Shortly after at the 10:20 mark the Everblades opened their two-goal lead on a nice passing play that ended with Steve McJannet recording his third goal of the year. O'Brien figured in on another goal after intercepting a Charlotte outlet pass to keep the puck in the offensive zone, then flipped a pass to McJannet in the slot. The crafty forward settled the puck then slipped it between the pads of Jakaitis for his third goal of the season.

In the third period the Checkers came at the Everblades with strong pressure. Charlotte twice cut the Florida lead to one in the frame, doing so first just 1:56 into the frame when Brad Ralph registered his sixth goal of the year by stepping out from behind the net and lifting a shot over the left shoulder of Leggio.

After holding off a wave of pressure following that goal, the Everblades tallied the eventual game-winner at 6:33 when Mathieu Roy swept home a rebound at the left post for his 10th goal of the season. Aaron Brocklehurst tallied the assist after his shot from the point sailed wide and off the end boards. A big rebound off the boards bounced to Roy who was camped at the left post to give Florida a 4-2 lead.

Charlotte didn't go quietly as midway through the period they tallied a power play goal to again cut the Everblades lead to one. Ryan Hillier converted the man-advantage goal after skating between the Everblades' defenseman and firing a quick shot that sailed into the upper left corner of the net at 11:42.

The Everblades penalty killers became the story of the game late with Charlotte holding a power play in the final five minutes, but big saves and blocked shots kept the Checkers off the board. As the period wound down, Charlotte pulled Jakaitis for an extra attacker and promptly came at the Everblades in a full-out assault. Again, Leggio made some big saves and the Florida players chipped in with blocked shots to keep the puck out of the net and preserve the victory.

Leggio improved his record to 14-3-1 overall and 5-1-0 vs. Charlotte by stopping 27 of 30 shots, while Jakaitis fell to 12-9-2 on the year allowing the four goals on 29 shots.

On the power play, the Everblades finished the night 0-of-6, while Checkers closed out the game 1-of-7.

Check out the Florida Everblades Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 18, 2009


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