‘Blades Weekly: One sweep down; home opener on the horizon

ESTERO, Fla. —  Following the third 50-win season in franchise history last season, the Florida Everblades picked up right where they left off to start the 2019-20 campaign this past weekend.

The Everblades racked up nine goals in two games to earn a sweep of the Norfolk Admirals in Norfolk, Virginia, to begin the season with a 2-0-0 record for the third time in four years under head coach Brad Ralph. Though Florida trailed in the first three minutes of both games, it netted five goals total in the first period over the weekend to take control of both contests. With the two wins, the ‘Blades improved to 18-2-3 all-time against the Admirals.

While Florida shifts back to Estero this weekend, the opponent will remain the same. The Everblades host the Admirals on Saturday night for Opening Night presented by Hertz. Saturday marks the third of the four meetings between the two teams this year, with the final meeting not taking place until Feb. 22.  

LAST WEEK’S RESULTSOct. 11 | at Norfolk Admirals – W, 4-3RECAP | BOX SCORE

Oct. 12 | at Norfolk Admirals – W, 5-2RECAP | BOX SCORE

THIS WEEK’S GAMESOct. 19 | vs. Norfolk Admirals | 7 p.m. – Hertz Arena

‘BLADES BIOS

• Justin Auger, Blake Winiecki and Tanner Jeannot all potted at least one goal in both games against Norfolk over the weekend.
• Jeannot fired 13 shots on goal in the two-game series against Norfolk and ranks second in the ECHL in shots on goal.
• Forward Cam Maclise registered the ‘Blades first multi-point game of the season with two assists in Friday’s game against the Admirals and leads the ECHL with four assists.
• Forward Hunter Garlent and defenseman Adam Smith each had an assist on Friday night for their first professional point.  

QUICK HITS

• With the win on Friday night in the season opener, Florida improved to 17-4-1 all-time in the first game of the season in its 22 years as an ECHL franchise.  
• The first series of the season was chalked full of offense for Florida. The Everblades, which scored four straight goals in 12 games last season, piled on four straight tallies in both contests this weekend en route to their first sweep of the year.  
• Florida’s 1-for-1 night on the power play on Saturday night was the first time in the last two seasons it has had a perfect conversion rate on the man advantage. It was also just the sixth time over the last two years that Florida has had less than two power play opportunities in a game.
• The Everblades posted 19 shots on goal in the first period on Friday, a total that is tied for the most shots in one period in the ECHL so far this year.  

SOUTH DIVISION STANDINGS

1. Florida Everblades: 2-0-0-0, 4 PTS
2. South Carolina Stingrays: 1-0-0-0, 2 PTS
3. Greenville Swamp Rabbits: 1-0-0-0, 2 PTS
4. Jacksonville Icemen: 0-0-1-0, 1 PTS
5. Atlanta Gladiators: 0-0-0-0, 0 PTS
6. Orlando Solar Bears: 0-1-0-0, 0 PTS
7. Norfolk Admirals: 0-2-0-0, 0 PTS  

‘BLADES LEADERSG: Tanner Jeannot (3)A: Cam Maclise (4)PTS: Maclise (4)+/-: Six players tied at +3SH: Jeannot (13)GAA: Cam Johnson (2.00)SV%: Johnson (.905)

UPCOMING PROMOTIONSOpening Night (Oct. 19) – The Everblades drop the puck on their home schedule with Opening Night presented by Hertz on Saturday, Oct. 19! The festivities start with a free pregame tailgate from 5-7 p.m., featuring live music, grilled-to-order food, bounce houses and more.

Sweets in the Suites (Oct. 26) – Celebrate Halloween with the Everblades! The first 500 fans in the door will receive an Everblades Zamboni bank courtesy of Waste Pro. When the first period concludes, kids 12 & under will have the chance to score some sweets during Trick or Treat in the suites of Hertz Arena, while the second intermission will feature a costume contest.

EVERBLADES 2019-20 BROADCAST INFORMATION Catch all the exciting action of Everblades hockey on WJBX News, Talk & More on 101.5 FM, 104.3 FM, 770 AM on the radio waves, or listen for FREE online.

Fans can also watch the games on a subscription basis on ECHL.TV.

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2019-20 Blades 365 Memberships are on sale now!

Get great seat locations, big savings and exclusive year-round experiences with a full season, 24-game or 12-game Blades 365 Membership!

SPECIAL OFFER! Purchase a new Blades 365 Membership for the 2019-20 season and receive a $20 gift card to Ford’s Garage and an Everblades tote bag!

To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits and options CLICK HERE.

Private tours of Hertz Arena are available to select your season seats! Call the Florida Everblades Front Office at 239-948-7825 to schedule your tour today!

The Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and AHL's Milwaukee Admirals