PREVIEW: Game 5 presents chance for 'Blades to close out Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — With a 3-1 series lead and a chance to close out the South Division Finals, the Florida Everblades square off against the Orlando Solar Bears in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on Friday night at the Amway Center. 

VITALS:South Division Final - Game 5: Everblades at OrlandoWhen: 7 p.m. ETWhere: Amway CenterWatch: ECHL.tvListen: WJBX - News, Talk & MoreSocial: Twitter | #FLAvsORL

Last Time OutFour different players found the back of the net, and Callum Booth stopped all 33 shots he faced to lead the Everblades to a 4-0 win over Orlando in Game 4 of the series on Thursday at the Amway Center. Blake Winiecki started the scoring with his team-leading eighth goal of the postseason, while Justin Auger, Logan Roe and Ben Masella added tallies. Leading 2-0 at the start of the third period, Florida tacked on two more goals to ensure the victory. Booth was busiest over the final two periods, making 27 saves in the last 40 minutes in his first career postseason shutout. BOX SCORE | RECAP

Players to WatchBlake Winiecki (FLA) – After putting up 59 points (25g-34a) in the regular season, the rookie forward has continued to impress with his offensive production in the postseason. Winiecki leads all Everblades players with 12 points, eight goals and four multi-point games in the playoffs. With his goal on Thursday, he has now registered a goal in three consecutive games, the longest goal streak for a 'Blades player in the postseason. 

Hunter Fejes (ORL) - The third-year pro put up five points (4g-1a) in only three games in Orlando's first-round series against South Carolina, but he has been relatively quiet through four games of the South Division Finals. Fejes has two goals against Florida, but those are his only two points of the series so far. The Colorado College product played in only 12 games for Orlando in the regular season but had 15 points (8g-7a) in that small sample size. 

Series historyFlorida and Orlando squared off 12 times during the regular season and split those 12 meetings right down the middle, with each team posting a 6-3-2-1 record. The 'Blades have held the significant edge in the all-time series since Orlando joined the ECHL for the 2012-13 season. Florida has compiled a 61-24-7 all-time mark and a 15-7 playoff record against the Solar Bears over the seven seasons of matchups.

Powering UpFlorida went five straight playoff games without a power-play goal but has now struck on the man advantage in three straight contests, compiling a 4-for-10 effort on the man advantage in that three-game stretch. After going 0-for-13 on the power play in the first four head-to-head matchups against Orlando in the regular season, the Everblades finished off the year with 14 power-play goals in 39 chances in the last eight meetings with the Solar Bears. Florida has converted on 27.7% (18-65) of power plays against Orlando this season. 

Shutout SquadThursday's shutout pitched by Callum Booth was the 'Blades first shutout of the postseason and the first shutout in a game against Orlando this year. Florida's last shutout in the playoffs came in a 5-0 win over the Colorado Eagles in Game 5 of the Kelly Cup Finals last year. Including postseason games, the Everblades had gone 24 games without a shutout against Orlando. The Everblades last shutout against the Solar Bears was a 4-0 win on Feb. 21, 2018. 

Killing ItWith a perfect 6-for-6 effort on the penalty kill on Thursday, Florida has now killed off 20 straight opposing power plays, a streak that dates back to April 20. That stretch of six straight games without yielding a power-play goal is Florida's longest such streak of the season. The Everblades went five games without allowing a power-play goal on two separate occasions in the regular season. Florida is 6-1-1 in the playoffs when it has put together a perfect performance on the penalty kill. 

Tonight's BroadcastTonight's Game 4 will air on WJBX - News, Talk & More, which can be found on the radio dial at 101.5 FM, 104.3 FM and 770 AM. Fans can also listen online at wjbxnewstalk.com. For the latest broadcast information throughout the playoffs, make sure to follow the 'Blades on Facebook and Twitter. 

​​​​​​Next UpDepending on the outcome of Friday's contest, Florida will either host a Game 6 on Monday at Hertz Arena at 7:30 or await its opponent and new series schedule for the Eastern Conference Finals. 

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