Blades clip Stingrays 2-1 in OT
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. Kevin Lynch scored the game-winning goal at 3:35 into overtime to lead the ECHL’s South Division-leading Florida Everblades to a 2-1 win over the second-place South Carolina Stingrays Friday night.
The Blades conclude their two-game tilt at South Carolina Saturday night and take a week off before heading to Orlando for a game between the holidays.
The Everblades (20-9) opened the night’s scoring midway through the first period thanks to an excellent pass from Kevin Lynch to Matt Marquardt. Skating 4-on-4, Lynch found Marquardt streaking to the zone. Receiving the puck, Marquardt skated to the right wing circle where he fired a shot that beat Stingrays’ goaltender Mark Dekanich on the short side to give the ‘Blades a 1-0 lead.
Down 1-0, South Carolina (15-12) began to take control of the game entering the second period. Multiple scoring chances were denied by Everblades goaltender Anthony Peters, who played outstanding during the course of the game.
The best of Peters’ saves came at the midpoint of the middle period when Carolina forced two shorthanded breakaway chances. Both times the Stingrays shooters were denied a goal thanks to the Blades netminder.
The third period followed a similar formula as the first two. Both teams generated some scoring chances only to be denied by some outstanding goaltending by both Peters and Dekanich.
The Stingrays were forced to focus more on their attack in order to seek a potential game-tying goal. This gamble paid off midway through the third period as the Stingrays managed to score.
Beginning to close on the Blades net, South Carolina’s initial shot and rebound attempt were stopped by Peters. The second rebound, though, rolled to the left wing circle where defenseman Nick Jones fired his shot into the open net to tie the game at 1-1.
Neither side was able to find a go-ahead goal late in regulation, so it went to overtime. That’s as far as it went. At the 3:35 mark of overtime, Marquardt found Kevin Lynch in the Stingrays zone. Lynch deked around the goaltender and fired the puck into the back of the net for the 2-1 victory.
Peters earns the win, stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced. Dekanich takes the loss despite an solid night in goal, allowing two goals on 27 shots.