Everblades coast 6-1 for unbeaten start
Once the going got rough, the Florida Everblades got going.
Trailing 1-0 midway through the second period, the Blades emerged from a series of second-period fights by hitting the Norfolk Admirals where it hurt the most – on the scoreboard. Florida scored five times in less than 20 minutes en route to a 6-1 victory Wednesday night at Germain Arena.
“They’re a very good team,” Eveblades coach Greg Poss said. “It wasn’t a 6-1 game. We’re happy with all the points we get.”
The Blades completed a 3-0 homestand to open the ECHL season.
Everblades captain Matt Marquart and Brant Harris each scored his first two goals of the season.
“The credit goes to my linemates,” Marquart said. “It’s not a one-man show out there. We ran the plays we’re supposed to run, and we have good chemistry out there. I was fortunate to click on a couple of goals.”
Florida scored three times in a span of 3:10 to lead 3-1 going to the third period.
“Tonight was a different game from Saturday,(against Atlanta,)” Poss said. “We were kind of sweating. Second period, they were the better team. We came out of it with a 3-1 lead. In the third, we got some great chances.”
The Everblades briefly found themselves behind for the first time in the young season. Charles-Olivier Roussel scored at 7:56 of the second period to put the Admirals ahead.
In Florida’s sweep of the first two games of the year against Atlanta, the Everblades led or were tied throughout.
“It was good that nobody got negative,” Poss said. “Guys stuck to it and we found a way to get the job done.”
Harris tied it for the Everblades, breaking in alone on Admirals goalie Ty Rimmer and picking up his first goal of the year.
“We were losing too many one-on-one battles,” Poss said. “We were under a lot of pressure. That goal by Harris gave us confidence.”
Florida and Norfolk entered the game as the most penalized teams in the ECHL’s Eastern Conference, and they kept up the penalty pace Wednesday. There were 50 penalty minutes called in the second period alone.
The second period featured three fights in the first nine minutes There were two scuffles before the night’s first goal, and a third broke out shortly after Roussel’s goal.
A general melee broke out late in the second, with the Everblades’ Mike Cornell and Norfolk’s Jonathan Lessard picking up five for fighting with 4:30 left in the period.
Florida took the lead after that scrap, with Marquart firing a slap shot past Rimmer on the power play. That tally came exactly a minute after Harris’ goal.
“Guys were sticking up for one another and we had a couple of big penalty kills,” Marquardt said. “Then Harris comes up with a big goal and we were able to capitalize on the power play. Then we kept our foot on the gas. When you see guys going to war for each other, it gets the blood boiling and gets you going.”
Kevin Lynch scored his third goal of the season early in the third period for a 4-1 Blades lead. Ethan Werek added his third goal midway through the third. That prompted the Admirals to switch goalies, with Philippe Cadorette taking over for Rimmer.
Brendan O’Donnell had two assists for Florida, while Marquardt added an assist to his two-goal night.
Daniel Altshulter got his second start and second win in goal, stopping 27 of 28 shots for the Everblades.
“Danny played a great game for us back there,” Marquart said. “He’s been huge for us, and so has (Anthony) Peters. We’ve got a great tandem at goaltender. We don’t want to have to rely on them too much, but they’ve been coming up big.”
The Blades hit the road this weekend, playing at Atlanta Friday and Saturday nights, then head up the interstate to Greenville, S.C., for a day game against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Sunday.
NOTES: The Admirals are one of three teams whose cities lost AHL franchises to California since last season and received ECHL teams in return. The NHL Anaheim Ducks moved their AHL team to San Diego. The Edmonton Oilers’ ECHL team moved from Bakersfield, Calif., to Norfolk and took on the Admirals name. Glens Falls, N.Y., lost the AHL Adirondack Flames to Stockton, Calif., and got the former Stockton ECHL franchise in return as the NHL Calgary Flames swapped its farm teams. Manchester, N.H., saw its AHL team shifted to Ontario, Calif., and the parent Los Angeles Kings moved the former Ontario ECHL team to New Hampshire to be the Manchester Monarchs. The ECHL is a level below the AHL, which is the top minor hockey league. For the Admirals, it’s a return to where the team name began. Originally the Admirals were the Hampton Roads Admirals from 1989-2000, winning three ECHL titles before moving up to the AHL. The AHL Norfolk Admirals were affiliated with the Everblades back in 2012 when the Admirals won the AHL championship and the Everblades won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup. Norfolk’s Steven Whitney played in 23 regular-season and 10 playoff games for the Everblades last season. In a quirk of the ECHL schedule, the Admirals won’t return to Germain Arena this season, but the two teams will play three times in Norfolk, Va. .. The Everblades’ next home game is next Wednesday against the South Carolina Stingrays.