Late Surge Dooms 'Blades in 5-4 Shootout Loss

Written by Robert Molnar

GLENS FALLS, NY – James Henry scored the game-winning shootout goal to help lead the Adirondack Thunder (24-17-1-2, 49 pts) to a 5-4 shootout victory over the Florida Everblades (29-8-1-3, 62 pts) Friday night at the Cool Insuring Arena.

BOX SCORE

Terrence Wallin gave Adirondack a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. James Henry began a three-on-one rush. Henry used great patience to allow his teammates time to catch up and then found Wallin at the right wing circle where he roofed his shot past Everblades goaltender Callum Booth.

Justin Kea tied the game at 1-1 for the ‘Blades, scoring the shorthanded goal with less than two-minutes remaining in the opening frame. John McCarron created a turnover and quickly got the puck to Justin Kea who was left all alone in the neutral zone. Kea deked to the forehand and slid his shot under the pad of Thunder goaltender Drew Fielding.

Brian Ward would put Adirondack up 2-1 less than four minutes into the second period. Terrence Wallin got the puck from Ward before sending it right back to him at the right wing circle. Curling a shot, Ward sliced the puck right past the glove of Callum Booth.

Matt Mackenzie tied the score at 2-2 for the ‘Blades late in the middle frame. Cycling the puck around inside the attacking zone, John McCarron got the puck to Mackenzie at the point. Teeing up his shot, Mackenzie blasted his shot through traffic and past a completely screened Drew Fielding.

Taking their first lead of the game 1:20 into the third period, Zack Kamrass put the ‘Blades up 3-2 as he converted on a power play opportunity with relentless pressure. Drew Fielding did make a few nice saves, the effort from the ‘Blades soon proved to be too much as Kamrass shoved a rebound chance into the net.

Brett Bulmer doubled the ‘Blades lead midway through the third period.  Bulmer managed to scoop up the loose puck near the bottom of the right wing circle and fire a shot off the pads of Drew Fielding, Bulmer managed to pick up his own rebound, deke to the backhand and slide his second chance shot into the back of the net.

Adirondack’s Brian Ward netted his second tally of the night to make it a 4-3 game during a 4-on-4 situation.  James Henry moved the puck into the ‘Blades zone. Ward rifled a quick wrist shot from the slot that managed to beat a screened Callum Booth.

The Thunder capped off the rally when Paul Rodrigues tied the game for the Thunder with just seven-seconds remaining in the period. Adirondack prevented the ‘Blades from clearing the puck. Getting the puck into the slot, Paul Rodrigues fired a quick shot through traffic and into the top half of the net.

In overtime, both teams would see their fair share of goal scoring chances. However, following some great goaltending from both sides, the game would proceed into a shootout.

Following a scoreless opening round, James Henry gave the Thunder a lead in the second round of the shootout. The single tally proved to be enough as Drew Fielding would come up big and stop each of the shots he faced in the shootout, earning the 5-4 win for the Thunder.

Drew Fielding earns the win in goal for Adirondack after stopping 25 of the 29 shots he faced as well as all three shots he faced in the shootout. Callum Booth suffers the loss in goal for the ‘Blades after allowing four goals on 38 shots as well as the only goal scored during the shootout.

The Florida Everblades will once again face off against the Adirondack Thunder tomorrow night at the Cool Insuring Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Fans can catch the game broadcast on 99.3 ESPN Radio or by CLICKING HERE. Fans can also watch the game online at ECHL.TVUpcoming 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!  Fans can also enjoy bottomless popcorn all night long!

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###