'Blades Hop In and Out of Overtime in 3-2 Win Over Swamp Rabbits

Written by Keaton Hanley

ESTERO, FL – John McCarron scored the game-winning goal just 38 second into overtime to lead the Florida Everblades to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Friday night at Germain Arena.

BOX SCORE

Greenville controlled much of the first period as they spent the majority of their time in the ‘Blades end. The Swamp Rabbits broke the tie at 13:36 after a 2-on-1 rush gained the Everblades zone. A shot from behind the goal line off the stick of Fort Myers local and FGCU alum Daniel Echeverri bounced off the backside of Callum Booth; a battle for the loose puck ensued in the crease and Shane Walsh was able to chip it the back of the net to give the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead.

The Blades started out the second period with a roll over 5-on-3 power play.  However, the Everblades were unable to score on either power play despite the good look down low from Mitchell Heard, as Heard was robbed by the glove of Greenville netminder Brad Barone.

The Swamp Rabbits carried the momentum off the penalty kill and translated it into a goal with a shot-pass from the left point from Wade Murphy that found Guillaume Naud outside the crease.  Naud battled against Matt McKenzie before chopping at the puck to beat Booth and extend the Greenville lead to 2-0.

The Everblades gained some momentum of their own as they got on the board right after killing off a penalty to Clark Seymour. Mitchell Heard battled hard on the puck in the offensive zone down low before shouldering off of a Swamp Rabbit player below the circle and making his way to the slot. Heard then sent the puck right back to where he skated from to Zack Kamrass who blasted a one-timer through the wickets of Barone to bring the Blades within one midway through the second.

Brett Bulmer tied the game with just 10.8 seconds remaining in the second period with a shot right following a faceoff win by John McCarron that quickly relayed to Bulmer for a quick wrister that knuckled past the glove of Barone to tie the game at two at the second break.

The Blades were all over the Swamp Rabbits in the third period, outshooting the Swamp Rabbits 14-0. It marked the second time in club history the ‘Blades did not surrender a single shot on net in a period. The first time took place on January 7, 2005 in the third period of a game at South Carolina.

Despite the Blades dominate performance in the third period, Barone bailed out the Swamp Rabbits to force overtime with regulation ending tied 2-2.

John McCarron continued his personal dominance (6G 3A in 4GP) of the Swamp Rabbits by scoring the game-winner just 38 seconds into overtime off a ripper of a shot from the right circle that beat Barone through his five-hole to put an end to the goaltender’s strong play and complete the 3-2 comeback victory.

Callum Booth earned the win stopping 13 of 15 shots, while Barone takes the loss allowing three goals on 43 shots to finish with 40 saves.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at Germain Arena at 7:00 p.m.  Promotional information listed below.

Upcoming Home GamesSaturday,  March 3, vs. Greenville, 7:00 p.m. Lee County Schools Night  The Fur Circus mascots will be on hand to entertain the fans and kids throughout the night and in the concourse!  Tailgate party from 5-7 p.m. featuring live music and bounce 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###