Blades Battle Gladiators for Top Spot in the South
Published on February 4, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release
DULUTH, Ga. - The Florida Everblades will meet with the Atlanta Gladiators for the first time this season at Gas South Arena and conclude a stretch of four straight games against the Glads.
The Everblades are 1-2-1-0 this season against Atlanta and are coming off a 5-1 victory Saturday to close out the three game set in Estero. Florida's offense was quieted in their first two meetings of the season dropping each by 2-0 decisions. Anthony Romano has paced Florida's attack over the last two contests against the Gladiators registering five points (3g-2a) over this stretch while Atlanta blueliner Chad Nychuk has seven points (3g-4a) in the matchup. In goal, both Ethan Haider and TJ Semptimphelter have recorded shutouts against Florida, while Cam Johnson owns a 1.36 goals-against average and .938 save percentage in three games this season against Atlanta.
This season Florida has been dominant on the road posting a 15-4-3-0 mark in 22 games this season inside enemy territory. Florida's 15 wins are tied for the most road wins of any team in the ECHL while the Gladiators have been equally impressive on their home ice winning 14 of 17 games this season at Gas South Arena. Atlanta's .824-win percentage on home ice is tops in the ECHL.
Scoring the first goal has been critical this season for both Florida and Atlanta in determining the outcomes of games. The Gladiators have scored the game's first goal in 25 of their 39 games this season and are 22-2-1 when doing so while Florida is 18-3-4 in the 25 games they have scored first.
Defensively, the Gladiators and Everblades are the top two teams in the ECHL with Atlanta ranked first holding their opponents to 2.10 goals per game while Florida is second at 2.24. Brad Ralph's group is also tops in the ECHL in limiting their opponents to 24.83 shots per game.
Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET at Gas South Arena with first place in the South Division standings on the line tonight with both teams separated by just one point. Florida will continue their road trip across Georgia Friday and Saturday against the Savannah Ghost Pirates with the faceoff set for 7:00 p.m. ET on both nights.
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