Peters, Blades pound Beast 5-1
The Florida Everblades looked very much like a first-place team Friday night.
The Blades, who hold a seven-point lead in the ECHL South Division, pounded the Brampton Beast 5-1 at Germain Arena.
Florida has four wins and a shootout loss in its last five games, good for nine points.
Atlanta remains seven points back in the division with a win over South Carolina Friday. There’s still a long haul to go. Nearly half the regular season remains to be played.
“We’re trying to keep the momentum going,” Everglades coach Greg Poss said. “We’re still a work in progress.”
The Blades have one more game with Brampton Saturday before the All-Star break.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times in a row,” Poss said.
Goalie Anthony Peters made 37 saves on 38 shots for the victory. If there was a sour note for Florida, it’s all those saves Peters had to make.
“We gave up 38 shots against,” Poss said. “We scored some nice goals, but those kinds of games can go both ways.”
The Beast outshot the Blades for the second game in a row, but once again Peters, who made his ninth consecutive start, proved there’s not much better in hockey than a hot goalie.
“The more he plays the better he plays,” Poss said. “We need a good goaltender. We’re not winning because of how we’re playing. We’re winning because of our goaltender.”
Ryan Martindale had a goal and two assists, Matt Willows added a goal and an assist, and Corey Syret had a pair of assists for the Blades.
“(Martindale) is playing a lot better defensively so he’s getting more chances,” Poss said. “He can handle the puck more. He’s really creative when he gets chances.”
Brampton’s Tim Billingsley broke up Peters’ shutout bid. Billingsley was left alone right in front of Peters. Taking a pass and firing it home point-blank with 11:54 left in the contest.
Maxime St. Cyr got that one right back for the Blades. St. Cyr posted a goal for the second consecutive game, half his season’s total of four. Jeff Jones got the assist for his first professional point.
The game began to turn early in the second period when Florida dodged a 5-on-3 bullet.
A whistle right at the end of the first period left Florida one short to start the second. Tyler Ganly, who grew up a few miles away from Brampton in Ontario, drew a goaltender interference penalty. Just over a minute into the second, Syvret was called for hooking to put the Blades two men down. Peters fought off a couple of tough shots to keep the game scoreless.
“That was a really good job when we were 3-on-5,” Poss said. “I think we only gave them one really good scoring chance during that time. That was good to see.”
Shortly thereafter, the Blades went on the power play. Martindale skated between two defenders and scored on a wrist shot just as the man advantage was about to expire. Syvret had the assist. The goal is Martindale’s fifth in 20 games with the Blades.
“We’ve been working on that in practice,” Martindale said. “It just kind of opened up at the blue line. So I took my opportunity. I kind of squeaked through there, and I was lucky enough to get a nice shot. Fortunately it went in.”
The Blades’ second goal was a thing of beauty, with crisp passes by Martindale and Syvret to set up Willows’ wrister in front of Beast goalie Jordan Ruby. Willows increased his team goals lead with his 14th of the season.
“Syvret had a nice give-and-go with me, and I got it to Willows to finish it,” Martindale said. “It was a nice assist for me, but everybody else did a good job. It was a good goal.”
“That one was great,” Poss said. “The last one on the power play (by Corey Cowick) was nice also.”
Justin Agosta made it 3-0, deking Ruby then flipping the puck past the goaltender and into the net. Agosta’s eighth goal came with both teams a man down, and was aided by Brant Harris and Brendan O’Donnell.
Cowick scored his eighth goal late in the game on the power play to close out the scoring.