Blades push win streak to five with 4- 3 win over South Carolina
February 4, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release
ESTERO, FL - The Florida Everblades (33-9-2) continued their torrid pace winning their fifth straight game and 14th in their last 15 with a 4-3 win over the South Carolina Stingrays (22-18-5) on Wednesday night at Germain Arena. The win Florida's fourth straight over their division rival and increased their point lead to 19 points over the second place Stingrays.
Similar to last night's contest between the clubs the Stingrays opened the scoring when Maxime Lacroix's slap shot from the left circle sailed past Everblades goaltender Anton Khudobin with 4:05 remaining in the first period.
Like last night as well, the Everblades answered the goal with one of their own to send the teams to locker room tied at one. The Everblades evened the score with a power play goal by Kevin Baker that came with just 34 seconds remaining in the frame. The league's leading scorer tallied his league-leading 38th goal of the season with a quick snap shot from the left circle into the upper left corner of the net.
In the second period, the Everblades came out strong firing 20 shots on goal scoring twice to grab carry a 3-1 lead into the second intermission. The goals, which both came in the first six minutes of the period, came off the sticks of Mathieu Roy and Partick Bordeleau.
Roy's 14th goal of the season came at 4:07 after taking a pass in the high slot from Noah Babin. Roy turned and rifled a wrist shot into the upper left corner of the net giving the Everblades a 2-1 lead. Baker notched the second assist on the marker.
Just over minute later at 5:31 Bordeleau registered his fifth goal of the season by scooping up a rebound at the top of the goal crease and lifting it over Stingrays net-minder Jonathan Boutin. Andrew Fournier and Brad Zanon chipped in the assists.
The Everblades kept the pressure on in the third period tallying an early power play goal that proved to be the game winner. Again it was Baker with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that sailed inside the right post. His 18th power play goal of the season came off assists from Roy and Hartlieb at 3:33 of the period to open a 4-1 advantage.
South Carolina however chipped their way back into the game midway through the period scoring on both ends of a 5-on-3 power play. The first of the two goals came at 8:11 when Brad Farynuk hopped on a loose puck in the left circle and fired it past a scrambling Khudobin. The Stingrays then cut the lead to one at 9:45 when Scott Romfo's shot from the top of the left circle found its way through traffic and into the net.
Khudobin (17-6-1) collected his second straight win over South Carolina after stopping 30 of 33 shots. Boutin, who was making his debut with the Stingrays took the loss allowing four goals on 31 shots. Jeremy Duchesne came in late in the third period after Boutin was forced out with cramps and stopped both shots he faced.
On the power play, the Everblades finished the night 2-of-6, while Stingrays also closed out the game 2-of-6.
BEWARE OF THE BITE! Action You Can Sink Your Teeth Into! Individual tickets to all Everblades home games are on sale now! Visit the Germain Arena Box Office M-F from 10-6 to purchase tickets, or order online at www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.floridaeverblades.com and www.germainarena.com or call 239-948-PUCK for more information on group ticket packages, pricing and upcoming Germain Arena events.
The Everblades return to action on Friday, February 6 when they travel to South Carolina to take on the Stingrays at 7:05 p.m. from the North Charleston Coliseum. The Everblades return home on Wednesday, February 11 when they host the Cincinnati Cyclones at 7:30 p.m. from Germain Arena.
3 Stars: 1 - Kevin Baker - FLA 2 - Mathieu Roy - FLA 3 - Ernie Hartlieb - FLA
ECHL Stories from February 4, 2009
- Grizzlies Unbeaten Streak Hits 10; Fall 4-3 In Shootout - Utah Grizzlies
- Las Vegas Earns First Three-Game Winning Streak of the Year - Las Vegas Wranglers
- RoadRunners Edge Grizzlies 4-3 In A Shootout - Phoenix RoadRunners
- Blades push win streak to five with 4- 3 win over South Carolina - Florida Everblades
- Bombers Trump Reading 4-2 - Dayton Bombers
- Stingray's Comeback Falls Short, 4-3 to Everblades - South Carolina Stingrays
- Sea Wolves top Gwinnett, 5-3 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Gladiators Fall 5-3 to Mississippi - Atlanta Gladiators
- Chiefs Announce Game Date Change - Johnstown Chiefs
- ECHL Transactions February 4th - ECHL
- Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Alaska Aces - Stockton Thunder
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- McKenna Makes NHL Debut With Tampa Bay - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Checkers Continue Community Outreach In February - Charlotte Checkers
- Looking for Old Time Hockey eh? Blades hosting "Canada Night!" - Florida Everblades
- Nailers Announce Valentine's Day Promotion - Wheeling Nailers
- Walsh Loaned To Grand Rapids; Grizzlies Host Phoenix Tonight - Utah Grizzlies
- South Carolina's Farynuk Fined - ECHL
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- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Nailers Announce Weekend Promotions - Wheeling Nailers
- Royals Dropped By Cincy in OT, 3-2 - Reading Royals
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