Trio provide needed spark for Everblades
It is said that time heals all wounds.
When the Florida Everblades left on their five-week road trip they were definitely wounded. Plagued by injuries and call-ups for some of their best players, the Blades were struggling to score goals and play team defense. They lacked team continuity and found themselves trailing more often than not, forced to come from behind to earn victories.
Fast forward to today and things look a whole lot different for the Everblades.
Following two convincing victories over division rival Gwinnett this weekend, the Blades look to be getting their grove back, both on offense and defense.
“The team dynamic is a little different right now,” said Blades coach Malcolm Cameron after Saturday’s 5-1 beat down of the Gladiators at Germain Arena. “With the injection of (Milan) Gajic and (Brandon) Buck back into the line up, and (Mike) Bayrack joining us at the end of that road trip, you are looking at three different skilled players with speed added to the line up.
“Our system has remained the same. The difference now is that we are scoring goals and have more guys who can finish (goals) in our line up.”
Buck, Bayrack and Gajic deserved their mention.
For this past weekend;s games, the trio combined for four goals and four assists.
Bayrack is a name Blades fans should remember from his years teaming with Kevin Baker for the Texas Wildcatters on a line that was the most dominate in the league, and he is glad to be back with his former line mate.
“I’m pretty happy to be here,” said Bayrack, “I’ve had a tough year, a tough start to the year. (Coach) pushed for (bringing) me here, knowing that having played with Baker in the past we should gel right away, and so far we have.”
Bayrack’s addition, combined with the return of Gajic off injured reserve and Buck from the AHL was only too noticeable over the weekend. Any time they were on the ice, whether together or apart, they dictated the offensive play, pushing the offensive flow on Gwinnett, who had no defensive answer for any of them.
Bayrack was most often paired with his old line mate Baker, and if not for expected timing issues, the two could have hooked up for three goals.
“With Baker, sometimes I don’t even have to look,” Bayrack said of his old teammate. “I know where he is, he communicates on the ice. I use my peripheral vision and I just know where he is at.”
Despite Florida’s seeming sudden change in fortunes, Cameron is taking it all in stride.
“Obviously you can only coach the players you have, not the players you don’t have,” said Cameron. “We still have some pretty good players out of the line up in (Paul) Healey, (Ryan) Land, and Shay Guthrie. Should they come back we will be a whole different animal again.”
Everblades fans will get three more chances to check out the new-found offense the Blades (22-15-6) have this week as they host the Trenton Devils beginning Wednesday at Germain Arena.