Blades win 5-3, clinch home ice
This was what coach Malcolm Cameron wanted to see from the Florida Everblades through the seven remaining games of the season – dominating offense, outstanding special teams and stifling defense when it matters most.
For two periods, Cameron got all three Wednesday night, but it was more than enough as the Blades defeated the Charlotte Checkers 5-3 at Germain Arena and clinched home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
“I want to see a first period like we played the third period tonight,” Cameron said. “The bottom line is we were flat that first period. You want to set the tempo against a team, especially when they’re shorthanded, and wear them down as quickly as possible. You do that by attacking and attacking and we were a little tentative in doing that (in the first period).”
Whether it was Cameron’s stern words Tuesday night about “actively seeking players who had a fire in their belly and wanted to play to win,” or just the team waking up to what was before them, the Blades responded in a big way from the second period through its conclusion.
Down 1-0 entering the second period, the Blades dominated through physicality. Powered by two goals from Kevin Baker, the Blades set the tone for the rest of the game.
Despite heading into the third period in a 2-2 tie, the Blades (42-17-5) would not be denied. It was then that their top-ranked power play and defense took over.
Of their three goals in the final period, two were on the power play. So stifling was their defense in that final 20 minutes that starting goaltender Kyle Gajewski (20 saves) faced only four shots.
The win, and the two points that go along with it, secured first place in the ECHL’s South Division for the Blades, putting a bull’s eye on their backs for the remaining seven games.
“We just have to figure out how to play all three periods the way we played the last two periods,” said Baker, whose two goals give him 52 on the year.
The win not only secured the division title, it also put the Blades within four points of securing the No. 1 overall seed in the American Conference.
The Blades hit the road for two games in Charlotte (32-25-6) Friday and Sunday before returning to Germain Arena March 28.