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ECHL Atlanta Gladiators

Everblades Roll Over Gladiators 6-2

March 28, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Atlanta Gladiators News Release


What was a close game for more than half of the contest was blown open by the Everblades late in the second period, as Gwinnett dropped a 6-2 decision to the Florida Everblades in front of 4,369 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center Sunday afternoon, pushing them to the brink of elimination from the 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs. After the Gladiators tied the score at two early in the second period, the visiting Everblades pumped in four unanswered markers to bury the Gladiators, who failed to capitalize on numerous scoring chances.

Not for a lack of opportunities, Gwinnett struggled on the power play, finishing just 1-for-8, including coming up empty on an extended 5-on-3 in the second period and a three-minute man-advantage early in the third.

Brandon Buck opened the scoring with his first shorthanded goal of the season with an odd rebound shot 3:20 into the contest after Mitch McColm was sent off for a delay-of-game penalty at 2:18.

But the Gladiators were able to cash in on the power play just 37 seconds later, when Scott Mifsud netted a rebound after Drew Paris' blast from the point found iron and redirected into the slot.

The Everblades regained the lead at 10:22 when Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll beat Brown with a wrist shot from the slot with assists to Phil Paquet and Dominic Osman, and Florida owned a 2-1 lead after the first 20 minutes.

Chris Higgins knotted the score at two for the Gladiators 3:42 into the middle period on assists to Scott Mifsud and Pat Galivan. Skating through the slot, Higgins controlled a high pass from Scott Mifsud in the corner, walked around a Florida defenseman and tucked a forehand shot just inside the far post through traffic to tie the game 2-2.

But Florida took their third lead of the game when Milan Gajic's shot rebounded off the back dasher and out in front of the net, where Dominic Osman slipped a shot between Brown and the nearside post for the 3-2 lead at 12:53, and it was all Florida from there.

The Everblades added to their lead with a power play goal with just 20 seconds remaining in the second period, when Brandon Buck finished off a tic-tac-toe play with a shot from the slot that caught Brown out of position.

Brandon Buck completed his hat trick on a penalty shot 1:27 into the third period, and Ross Carlson capped the scoring with his team-leading 26th goal of the season at 14:13.

Adrien Lemay stopped all but two of Gwinnett's shots to earn the win for the Everblades in his professional debut, while David Brown made just 22 saves on 27 shots, taking the loss in just over 53 minutes played. Drew Rosen stopped one of two shots in just under seven minutes of action, as he came off the Gwinnett bench to replace Brown in his pro debut.

Brandon Buck finished with three goals, and Ryan Lang had three assists to lead the Everblades, while Scott Mifsud finished with a goal and an assist for the Gladiators, who must win their final four games with Reading and Toledo losing each of their final games, to earn their seventh straight playoff berth.

The Gladiators wrap up their road schedule on Tuesday night with a South Division match up at the Charlotte Checkers before returning home to face South Carolina three times in four days to close out the regular season.

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