ECHL Florida Everblades

Preview: Everblades Face Greenville in Second Tilt of Three-Game Set

Published on January 11, 2019 under ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


ESTERO, Fla. - Now at the halfway point of the 2018-19 regular season, the Florida Everblades (24-7-5-0, 53 pts.) aim to keep their grasp on the top spot in the ECHL and earn their 13th straight series win against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (14-20-3-2, 33 pts.) with the second tilt of a three-game set on Friday at Hertz Arena.

VITALS:

Game 37: Everblades vs. Greenville

When: 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Hertz Arena

Tickets: Ticketmaster

Watch: ECHL.tv

Listen: WJBX

Social: Twitter | #GRNvsFLA

Last Time Out

Seven different players found the back of the net and five different players posted multiple points as Florida scored seven times for the second straight game in a 7-3 win over Greenville on Wednesday night at Hertz Arena. Kyle Platzer (1g-2a), Josh Wesley (3a), and Tommy Thompson (3a) led the way for Florida offensively, while Joe Cox (1g-1a) and Mike Neville (2a) also had multiple points. Netminder Jamie Phillips turned in a 22-save effort for his 14th win of the year.

Players to Watch

Josh Wesley (FLA) - After missing 16 'Blades games while with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, Wesley returned to Florida on Jan. 2 and has caught fire recently. On the heels of a career-high four-point (1g-3a) performance last Saturday night, the defenseman put up a three-point night (3a) in the series opener against Greenville on Wednesday. Wesley has 12 points (4g-8a) in 20 games this season.

Austen Brassard (GRN) - Brassard leads all Greenville players with three goals in head-to-head matchups against Florida this season. He tabbed his ninth multi-point game of the season on Wednesday with a goal and an assist to pace the Swamp Rabbits' offense. In his third season in the ECHL, Brassard has 26 points (13g-13a) this season and has played in all 39 games.

Series history

Friday is the eighth total meeting between the two teams this year and the fourth of five meetings at Hertz Arena. Florida has a 7-0-0-0 record against Greenville this season and a 50-31-15 all-time record against the Swamp Rabbits. Dating back to last season, Florida has earned 12 straight regular-season wins against Greenville. The 'Blades last loss was a 4-3 shootout setback at home on Feb. 2, 2018.

Frequent Foes

With this weekend's series, Florida and Greenville will have played each other in four of the last six weeks. In fact, the 10 games between the two teams this year are condensed into a two-month window. The 'Blades first faced Greenville on Dec. 7 and play the Swamp Rabbits for the final time in the regular season on Feb. 2.

On the Offensive

Florida has ranked as low as 20th in the ECHL in goals for per game this season, but now sits atop the league in offensive output per game (3.83 gf/game) for the first time this year thanks to consecutive seven-goal performances. Since getting shutout on Nov. 16 at South Carolina, Florida has averaged 4.38 goals per game in its last 24 contests and has tabbed four or more goals 17 times in that stretch.

Winning Ways

After going without a win in his first four starts, Jeremy Helvig has posted a 10-1-1 record in goal for Florida in his 12 starts since then. The rookie netminder is currently riding a 'Blades season-high seven-game winning streak entering Friday, a winning streak that started on Dec. 5. The Markham, Ontario, native has allowed more than two goals just once in the win streak.

Freaky Friday

Friday games have been characteristically the most challenging day of the week for Florida to play on so far this season. The 'Blades have posted a 6-5-2-0 record in Friday contests but are an eye-opening 18-2-3-0 on all other days of the week.

Three, please

When Florida has reached three goals in a game, success has followed. The 'Blades have yet to lose a game in regulation when they have found the back of the net three times, sporting a record of 24-0-4-0 in that scenario. With Wednesday's seven-goal outburst, Florida has posted five or more goals in 11 of its 36 games.

Next Up

Florida finishes off the three-game set with Greenville and the six-game homestand with Canadian Night presented by TD Bank on Saturday. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m.

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Single-game tickets for all regular season home games are on sale now!

Ticket packages for the 2018-19 season are still on sale! Become part of the Everblades Family with a Partial Season or a Flexible Voucher Package that fits your schedule and budget! All Ticket & Voucher Packages provide savings and special benefits!

SPECIAL OFFER! Purchase a new ticket package for the 2018-19 season and receive a $20 gift card to Ford's Garage and an Everblades tote bag!

Private Arena Tours are also available to select your 2018-19 season seats! Call the Everblades office at 239-948-7825 to schedule your tour today!

Check out the Florida Everblades Statistics

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ECHL Stories from January 11, 2019


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