Blades rout Rabbits 7-2
The kids are all right.
The Florida Everblades’ new guys made an impressive debut Friday night.
Rookie Greg Gibson scored a hat truck in his first professional game, just one of four new Everblades to contribute goals in a 7-2 demolition of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at Germain Arena.
“That was a really thrilling feeling,” Gibson said. “It really hasn’t sunk in yet, but that was a good game overall, to score and get the win. There’s a lot of good players here. They’ve been welcoming as well. It’s been a great few days so far, and hopefully we can keep rolling.”
Gibson and defenseman Chase Golightly, both were signed from Robert Morris this week after completing their college career. Golightly had an an assist on the Everblades’ first goal Friday.
General manager Craig Brush and Blades coach Greg Poss credited assistant coach Tad O’Had with finding the four college players the team has signed the past two weeks.
“Tad O’Had does a great job of identifying players we need to go after,” Poss said. “Not only Gibson, but (Joe) McNamara was good tonight, Golightly was good tonight, and also (Ralph) Cuddemi. We need that rejuvenation on our team right now. Especially Gibson scoring the three goals for us. That was huge.”
A four-goal third period barrage by the Everblades turned a tight game into a rout.
“It really wasn’t a 7-2 game,” Poss said. “It was a tight game that ended up to be 7-2 because we stuck with it and ground them down. It was a tight game through the first 55 minutes.”
The news wasn’t all good. Elmira’s victory over Brampton Friday prevented Florida from clinching a spot in the ECHL playoffs.
There will be another chance to clinch Saturday night in front of what is expected to be the largest crowd of the season.
The Everblades remain one point behind South Carolina for first place in the ECHL South Division.
While the Everblades were trying to lock up a playoff berth Friday, the Swamp Rabbits were fighting for their lives. Greenville entered the contest seven points out of the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, making Friday’s defeat one the Swamp Rabbits could not afford.
“We’ve got to come out like we did tonight and realize it’s going to be a hard game (Saturday),” Poss said. “When you beat a team 7-2 and you score some goals at the end of the game, they come out extra motivated not to let that happen again.”
The Everblades peppered Greenville goaltender Alain Valiquette with 40 shots. Anthony Peters faced fewer (22) shots in goal, but had his fair share of tough saves in earning the victory in net.
Gibson put the Blades ahead 2-1 with 5:15 left in the second period, capping a flurry in front of Valiquette by banging the puck past the Greenville goalie. Veteran Jon DiSalvatore and Fort Myers’ Logan Roe had the assists on Gibson’s first professional goal.
That was followed less than a minute later by a goal from defenseman Daniel New, just assigned to the team Friday from Springfield of the AHL. Matt Marquardt and Kevin Lynch had assists.
New arrived at Germain Arena less than three hours before game time.
“He got here about 5 o’clock, I think, 4:35,” Poss said. “Played really well. He’s a good puck mover. He’ll be a good addition to our team. We added a lot of players, and I’m really happy the way we’ve been able to add players without deleting players.”
The 3-1 lead didn’t last long. Before the second period was over, Garret Bembridge fired in a rebound from Peters’ left to cut the margin to a goal.
Matt Willows restored the two-goal margin about halfway through the final period. Lynch and Brendan O’Donnell had the assists on Willows’ team-leading 22nd goal.
Carter Sandlak added the fifth goal, set up by Cuddemi’s determined 1-on-2 effort behind the Greenville goal to get the puck out front for Sandlak. For Cuddemi, it is his third assist in three pro games.
The announcement of the Everblades’ fifth goal had just started when Gibson added his second of the night. DiSalvatore and Corey Syvret assisted. And then it was a hat trick for Gibson, with Gabriel Desjardins with the assist.
Gibson is still making the adjustment from the college game to the pros.
“There’s a lot of big boys out there, a lot of strong guys,” Gibson said, “especially for us little guys. The puck moves a bit quicker as well, so it’s something you’ve got to get used to.”
Florida’s first goal erased an early 1-0 deficit On the power play, O’Donnell scored his eighth of the year on assists from Willows and Golightly.
“It’s great for him,” Gibson said of college teammate Golightly. “He’s worked hard for this.”
A season-long habit of sloppy puckhandling around their own goal bit the Everblades in the first period. Greenville’s Jack Combs grabbed a loose puck right in front of Peters and fired it home for his 24th goal of the season.
For Combs, it is his fourth game in a row scoring a goal, giving him eight in his last six games.
“We’ve got a lot of good players right now. There’s competition for jobs,” Poss said. “We’ve got guys in the American League (AHL) who could be coming back. We only have eight games left. The competition to get onto the playoff roster and to have a role on the team is going to be great.”
Defenseman Golightly and forward Gibson played at Robert Morris, while defender McNamara came from Holy Cross and forward Cuddemi signed out of Canisius. Cuddemi was a college teammate of Roe last season.
Forward Brant Harris was loaned to Manitoba of the AHL.
Between all the roster changes and the special red-and-black jerseys the Everblades were wearing Friday, fans at Germain Arena could have been excused for thinking they might be at the wrong game.
The Everblades wore special jerseys Friday night promoting Saturday’s “Guns-N-Hoses” game between local police and firefighters. The jerseys will be auctioned off after Saturday’s game.
Willows leads ECHL rookies with 57 points.