ECHL Florida Everblades

'Blades power their way to first road win

November 1, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - The Florida Everblades (3-2-1) used a season-high four power play goals and a short-handed goal to earn their first win of the season on the road in a 5-2 come-from-behind victory over the South Carolina Stingrays (3-2-0) in front of a crowd of 4,895 on Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum.

A fast-paced first period saw the Stingrays tally the game's first two goals. South Carolina caused the first stoppage of play 3:56 into the game when Maxime Lacroix converted a 2-on-1 rush with his third goal of the season after taking a pass from Michael Dubuc in the right circle before one-timing it into the open night.

The Everblades penalty killers took center stage over the next several minutes, killing off back-to-back South Carolina power plays to keep the game a 1-0 contest. The Stingrays however did increase their lead just shy of the 16 minute mark on another 2-on-1 rush. This time it was Tommy Maxwell who carried the puck down the right side and after looking pass fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that beat Everblades goaltender Anton Khudobin low on the ice at 15:57.

The Everblades special teams took over in the second period, helping the Everblades to a four-goal frame. Trailing 2-0 entering the second period the Everblades got on the board with the first of their three power play goals in the period when Kyle Peto capped off a great passing play that saw Ross Carlson send a cross ice pass from the top of the left circle to Peto in the right circle where the defenseman one-time home his first goal of the year at 5:21.

The Everblades then received a spark from veteran Ernie Hartlieb who dropped the gloved with Johann Kroll in a bout of fisticuffs that led to the Everblades bench pumped up. That energy carried over in the Everblades second goal on a blown play by South Carolina while on the power play. After the puck was dumped in by Florida Stingrays goaltender Josh Johnson blindly played the puck behind the net where Everblades forward Ryan Lang was waiting. Lang then stepped out to the side of the empty net before tucking home his first goal of the season at 10:01.

The Everblades kept the pressure on and cashed in with two more power play tallies to take and extend their lead. The lead goal was notched at 14:18 by Carlson who ripped a shot from the top of the left circle off the right post and into the net. Danick Bouchard and Jonathan Paiement assisted on Carlson's third goal of the year.

Florida capped off the scoring in second period at 17:06 when Kevin Baker notched his second goal of he season by deflecting in a pass from Aaron Brocklehurst between the pads of Johnson to open the 4-2 lead. Paiement notched the second assist.

Early in the third period the Everblades tallied their fourth power play maker of the evening when Baker this time threw a shot from the left circle on net that found its way under the cross bar at 2:18. Baker's third goal of the season came off assists from Brocklehurst and Hartlieb.

From there, the Everblades did enough with the help of Khudobin's goaltending to keep the Stingrays from chipping away and getting any closer.

Khodobin (2-1-0) collected the win after stopping 32 of 34 shots, and Johnson took the loss after allowing the five goals on 28 shots to drop to 2-2-0.

On the power play, the Everblades finished the night 4-of-6, while the Stingrays closed out the game the night 0-of-8.

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ECHL Stories from November 1, 2008


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