ECHL Florida Everblades

Leggio Blanks 'Rays 4-0; Blades Win Streak at Seven

Published on January 15, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


CHARLESTON, SC - The Florida Everblades (26-8-2) notched their seventh straight win behind the solid goaltending of David Leggio who recorded his league-leading fourth shutout in a 4-0 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays (20-12-4) on Thursday night at the North Charleston Coliseum.

Much like their previous game, the Everblades battled to a scoreless first period tie thanks to strong goaltending. Overall the goaltenders were the first period story with Leggio making 12 saves, including stopping a penalty shot by Michael Dubuc four and a half minutes into the game and South Carolina's Michal Neuvirth turning away all seven shots he faced. The penalty killing was a big story as each team has substantial 5-on-3 power play time, but could not convert.

The Everblades came out strong in the second period applying more and more pressure as the period moved along. That pressure eventually led to Florida breaking the scoreless tie midway through the frame. Matt Auffrey got the Everblades on the board with his sixth goal of the season at 9:43 after taking a pass from Ryan Lang in stride and breaking in untouched to the South Carolina net where he slipped the puck between the pads of Neuvirth.

The steady pressure continued by the Everblades leading to Mathieu Roy opening a 2-0 Florida lead at 12:08. The play began with Peter Metcalf banking the puck off the right wing boards at center ice setting up Roy to skate onto the puck across the blue line before racing in on net and wristing a shot high over the blocker of Neuvirth. Ryan McGinnis also picked up an assist on Roy's eighth goal of the year.

The Everblades closed out the scoring in the period late in the frame when Andrew Sweetland converted his fourth goal of the season at 16:34. The play began with Noah Babin holding the puck in at the left point before working it down low where Andrew Fournier slipped a nifty pass to Sweetland at the bottom of the left circle. Sweetland then carried the puck across the top of the crease before tucking it inside the right post for the 3-0 lead.

The Everblades played a smart third period not taking any chances and chocking off the South Carolina attack. Offensively the Everblades extended their lead to four with a 4-on-3 power play goal by Ross Carlson at 5:02 of the frame. Mark Lee found Carlson all alone at the top of the Stingrays crease with a pass from the left corner before easily working his way around Neuvirth and lifting a shot into the gaping net.

Defensively the Everblades held the Stingrays without a shot over the first 10 minutes of the period and held them to just five overall in the period.

The win snapped South Carolina's two-game winning streak over Florida and improved the Everblades record to 3-3-1 vs. the Stingrays this season.

In goal Leggio won his career-high fifth straight win by stopping all 24 shots he faced to improve his record to 13-3-1 overall. Neuvirth saw his record fall to 6-7-0 after allowing the four goals on 26 shots.

On the power play, the Everblades finished the night 1-of-7, while Stingrays closed out the game 0-of-4.

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ECHL Stories from January 15, 2009


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