'Blades Comeback Bid Falls Short in 5-3 Loss to Orlando

Written by Robert Molnar

ORLANDO, FL – J.J. Piccinich scored two goals and added two assists to help lead the rival Orlando Solar Bears (18-17-5-1, 42 pts) to a 5-3 victory over the Florida Everblades (29-7-1-2, 61 pts) Sunday afternoon at the Amway Center. Following the result, the Everblades now have a 12 points to six lead in the battle for the Wawa Sunshine Cup.

BOX SCORE

Chris LeBlanc gave Orlando an early 1-0 lead as he capitalized on a second chance opportunity out in front of the Florida net. Following an initial shot from Mike Monfredo that clanged off the cross bar, the rebound took the puck into the slot.  LeBlanc wristed his shot past a diving Martin Ouellette and into the net.

Brett Bulmer got the ‘Blades on the board and made it a 1-1 game. Bulmer got the puck just outside of the left wing circle and took advantage of a screened Mackenzie Skapski to bury his shot into the back of the net.

Once again using a rebound to their advantage, Orlando took a 2-1 lead just over a minute into the second period. Circling the ‘Blades net, Orlando saw their first two shots be stopped in amazing fashion by Callum Booth. Unfortunately for Booth, the constant pressure from the Solar Bears would pay off as Hunter Fejes buried the third chance opportunity.

J.J. Piccinich would double the Solar Bears lead midway through the middle frame as he converted on a power play opportunity. Joe Perry made a great backhanded pass, sending the puck from circle to circle where it was picked up by Piccinich who squeezed his shot between Booth and the short side post for the goal.

J.J. Piccinich put Orlando up 4-1 with less than five-minutes remaining in the second period. Max Novak found Piccinich alone behind the ‘Blades defense. Snapping a quick wrist shot, Piccinich sent his shot past the glove of Callum Booth.

John McCarron added a power play marker with just seven-seconds to go in the middle frame to cut Orlando lead to 4-2. With time winding down in the period, Matt Mackenzie fired a shot from the point that deflected off an Orlando player. McCarron backhanded his chance past the now out of position goaltender.

The ‘Blades cut the Orlando lead in half as John McCarron scored his second of the game to make it 4-3. Stephen MacAulay made a highlight reel no-look pass that sent the puck to the front of the crease. McCarron made a nice deke move before burying his shot into the net.

Desperate for the tying marker,the ‘Blades threw everything they could muster at Orlando in the closing minutes. Unfortunately, the comeback would fall short as Joe Perry scored an empty net goal with three-seconds to remaining in the contest to clinch a 5-3 victory for Orlando.

Mackenzie Skapski was spectacular in goal for the Solar Bears and earns the win after stopping 36 of the 39 shots he faced. Callum Booth suffers the loss in goal for the Everblades, allowing four goals on 19 shots.

The Florida Everblades will now head north to the Cool Insuring Arena to take on the Adirondack Thunder this Wednesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Fans can catch the game broadcast on WJBX News, Talk & More on 101.5-FM.104.3-FM, 770-AM or by CLICKING HERE. Fans can also watch the game online at ECHL.TV

Upcoming Home Games

Friday,  February 2, vs. Greenville, 7:30 p.m.  For every Friday night game this season, kids eat FREE in the Breakaway Sports Pub with the purchase of an adult entree!

Saturday  February 3, vs. Greenville, 7:00 p.m. From 5-7 p.m., join us for the pregame tailgate part featuring live music and bounces houses for the kids!

Ticket Information

Purchase Single Game Tickets at the Florida Community Bank Box Office located at Germain Arena, or online via Ticketmaster by CLICKING HERE

2017-18 Ticket Packages are Currently on Sale!  Flexible partial plans are available. These packages will best fit your schedule and budget!  To view pricing and benefits of all available ticket packages CLICK HERE

SPECIAL OFFER! Purchase a new ticket package for the 2017-18 season and receive a $20 gift card to Ford's Garage!

Discounted Group Tickets: Bring your group of 10 or more to a game at a discounted price!  Group tickets are available for all home games. Fundraising opportunities are also available. For more information on group tickets, call 239-948-7825, or stop by the Everblades offices at Germain Arena Monday thru Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliateof the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes###