GAME DAY: Everblades at Atlanta - Dec. 27

ESTERO, Fla. — After five straight games on the road, the Florida Everblades (17-6-5-0, 39 pts.) return home on Saturday to battle the Orlando Solar Bears (14-11-2-0, 30 pts.) for the third time in three nights. 

VITALS:Game 30: Everblades at AtlantaWhen: 7:35 p.m. ETWhere: Infinite Energy ArenaWatch: ECHL.tvListen: WJBX Social: Twitter | #FLAvsATL

Last Time OutDerek Sheppard and John McCarron each scored in the last eight minutes of regulation to tie the game at five, and Justin Auger tallied the game-winning goal at the 3:17 mark of overtime to lift the Everblades to a 6-5 overtime win over the Orlando Solar Bears on Saturday night at Hertz Arena. Down 1-0 after the first period, Florida scored three straight to take a 3-1 lead in the second period. Orlando then tallied four consecutive times to wrestle the lead back at 5-3 before the Everblades' late rally in the third period. 

BOX SCORE | RECAP Players to WatchJohn McCarron (FLA) – The 'Blades captain has registered three consecutive multi-point games entering Thursday night. He posted three points (1g, 2a) on Thursday night, his first multi-goal game of the season on Friday, and a two-point night (1g, 1a) in the weekend finale on Saturday. The Macomb, Michigan, native has 11 points (7g, 4a) in his last eight games.  

Derek Nesbitt (ATL) - In his fourth straight season with Atlanta, Nesbitt leads the Gladiators in scoring with 20 points (7g, 13a) in 27 games. He has posted at least one point in each of his last four contests, which included a game-winning goal last Thursday against the Jacksonville Icemen, his first game-winner of the season. 

Series historyThursday night is the third of 11 total meetings between Florida and Atlanta this season and the third of five matchups at Infinite Energy Arena. In 159 previous all-time matchups with the Gladiators, the Everblades hold a record of 93-51-15. Last season, Florida completed a perfect 10-0-0-0 record against Atlanta, including a 7-0-0-0 mark at Infinite Energy Arena. 

Dominance in the ATLFlorida has won 15 straight regular season games in the all-time series with Atlanta dating back to the 2016-17 season. The Everblades' last loss to the Gladiators was a 3-2 shootout decision on Feb. 11, 2017. Florida is unbeaten in its last 21 games with Atlanta (20-0-1) and hasn't lost in regulation since a 3-2 defeat on Dec. 17, 2016.

In the recent series history in Atlanta, Florida has dominated the Gladiators, winning the last 23 games, including two playoff games last season. The Everblades have not lost in Atlanta since a 4-2 setback on Oct. 23, 2015. Florida scored six goals in the second period en route to its highest-scoring game of the season, an 8-3 win, in the last meeting on Nov. 18. 

Fire Away!The 'Blades have outshot their opponent in 12 of their last 14 games and are now fifth in the ECHL in shots on goal per game, averaging 33.3 shots on goal per tilt this season. Over its last four games, Florida has had a stark advantage in that category, outshooting its opponents by an average of 19.5 shots per game (165 SOGF - 87 SOGA). 

Christmas Comes EarlyFlorida's overtime win this past Saturday was its first of the season and its first regular-season overtime victory since a 4-3 overtime triumph over the South Carolina Stingrays on April 3, 2018. Additionally, Saturday's win was the first time this year Florida had come back from down multiple goals to win a game. The last time the 'Blades overcame a two-goal deficit to win was a 3-2 overtime win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on March 2, 2018, which, coincidentally, was their most recent home OT win. 

Defensive ExcellenceFlorida is second in the league in both shots against and goals against per game, limiting opponents to an average of 26.7 shots and 2.59 goals per tilt. Although there have been just seven games this season where Florida has yielded four or more goals, it has allowed four or more tallies in consecutive games for the first time this season. 

Next Up Florida continues its three-in-three weekend with a two-game set against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Friday and Saturday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Including this weekend, the two teams have squared off in three of the last four weekends after not playing each other in the first eight weeks of the season. —

Single-game tickets for all regular season home games are on sale now!Ticket packages for the 2018-19 season are still on sale! Become part of the Everblades Family with a Partial Season or a Flexible Voucher Package that fits your schedule and budget! All Ticket & Voucher Packages provide savings and special benefits! To view the Ticket & Voucher Package options CLICK HERE. SPECIAL OFFER! Purchase a new ticket package for the 2018-19 season and receive a $20 gift card to Ford’s Garage and an Everblades T-Shirt!Private Arena Tours are also available to select your 2018-19 season seats! Call the Everblades office at 239-948-7825 to schedule your tour today! 

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes