Blades fall in shootout
GREENVILLE, SC Mackenzie Skapski stopped every shooter he faced in the shootout and Jordan Knackstedt scored the only shootout goal to lift the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (18-13-6-0, 42 pts) to a 2-1 win over the Florida Everblades (25-11-0-1, 51 pts) Saturday night.
The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Everblades (25-12), who earned a standings point and collected five of a possible six points on the road trip.
Though both teams came out looking to take an early lead, missed chances and quality goaltending by the Everglades’ Anthony Peters and Greenville’s Skapski kept the game scoreless through the first period.
The Swamp Rabbits scored the first goal midway through the second period whenJustin DaSilva got past the defense and backhanded a shot top shelf on Peters.
Late in the third period, the Blades finally scored the tying goal. Brant Harris wristed a shot through traffic and past a screened Skapski.
Neither team came up with a game-winning goal late in regulation, so it headed to a five-minute overtime period for the second straight night. Despite some excellent chances for both sides, neither team scores.
Still tied after overtime, the game headed to a shootout. Knackstedt’s goal began the shootout and was all the Swamp Rabbits needed as Skapski stopped all three Blades shooters to secure the victory.
Skapski stopped 36 of 37 shots while Peters allowed the only goal in the shootout while stopping 28 of the 29 shots faced.
The Everblades return to the ice on Wednesday when they will host the Brampton Beast at Germain Arena.