ECHL Florida Everblades

Blades Pick up Point in 5-4 Shootout Loss

Published on February 29, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


ESTERO, FL -- Kalamazoo's two goals early in the third period, helped lead the Wings to a 5-4 overtime shootout victory over the Florida Everblades Wednesday night at Germain Arena.

Kalamazoo showed that it would not be giving John Muse a warm welcome back to Germain Arena. The Wings got on the board in only 58 second when Dwight Helminen found Darryl Bootland in the slot who slammed a wrist shot past Muse to give Kalamazoo a one goal lead.

Florida controlled the puck well in the second half of the first, and it paid off at the 17-minute mark when they tied the score at one. The goal came after a perfectly placed backhanded pass from Mike Ratchuk which went to Scott Pitt to the right side of the net. Pitt immediately tapped it to the top of the crease and Rylan Galiardi who quickly snapped a wrist shot past Riley Gill into the net, tying the game at one going into the first break.

The Everblades opened up the periods scoring when Matt Beca rebounded a deflected shot and fired a wrist shot that beat Gill to give the Everblades a 2-1 lead.

Nearly six minutes later, Kalamazoo answered back with a goal of its own. The goal came when Muse laid out in an attempt to smother a shot, but the puck slipped away from his glove. Dustin Cloutier saw the free puck and skated from behind the net and swung it into the open goal to tie the game again at two.

Florida kept fighting and regained the lead at the 10-minute mark. The goal came when David Rutherford's shot was deflected into the left side circle and right into Matt Marquardt's stick. Marquardt quickly fired a wrist shot into a seemingly open goal to give the Blades a 3-2 lead going into the second intermission.

Kalamazoo began the third period with a fierce offensive attack, and was able to score two goals in the first minute and a half of the period. The first goal came from Trent Daavettila after he received a pass from Joe Charlebois and put it in the net from point blank range.

The Wings gained the lead only 30 seconds later, as former Everblades Elgin Reid finished off a wrist from the slot which beat Muse for the go ahead goal.

Florida refused to back down and tied the game at four after David Fischer's shot was put into the net off rebound by Scott Pitt as he was falling to the ice.

Neither team could get the game winner in the third period, and the overtime period would ensue.

The Blades were forced to play nearly the entire overtime period one man down after a four-minute double minor and a misconduct penalty on Beca in the closing seconds of the third period. The Blades penalty kill unit was exceptional, and Muse put forth a solid effort in goal, to kill off the penalty and send the game to shootout.

After Blades forward David Rutherford scored in the shootout, the Wings received goals from Justin Taylor and Helminen to win the shootout 2-1, and seal the game by a 5-4 score. .

John Muse takes a lose in his return to Germain Arena stopping 31 of 36 goals, while Riley Gill earns the win allowing four goals on 32 shot attempts.

Muse is expected to be in the lineup tonight when The Everblades play host to the Kalamazoo Wings. Fans can enjoy $2 drafts, $2 wines, and $2 hot dogs all night long. Ladies can get in free and guys can receive a $5 tickets when they present their College I.D to the Capital Bank Office (Must have College I.D. to receive either offer).

Florida will also play the Wings on March 2 & 3 for Pink in the Rink Weekend . To purchase game tickets stop by any Ticketmaster outlet, or the Capital Bank Box Office at Germain Arena. The Capital Bank Box Office is open Monday thru Friday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Fans may also call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or order online at www.ticketmaster.com Group ticket packages are also available! Call the Everblades hockey headquarters at 239-948-7825 to order your seats. For upcoming events at Germain Arena, visit their website at www.germainarena.com .

Check out the Florida Everblades Statistics

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ECHL Stories from February 29, 2012


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