PREVIEW: 'Blades meet Gladiators for first time this season

DULUTH, Ga. —  Following a day off on Friday, the Florida Everblades (9-4-0-0, 18 pts.) continue a four-game week with their first matchup of the season against the Atlanta Gladiators (5-6-0-0, 10 pts.) on Saturday at Infinite Energy Arena. 

VITALS:Game 14: Everblades at AtlantaWhen: 7:05 p.m. ETWhere: Infinite Energy ArenaWatch: ECHL TVListen: WJBX (101.5 FM, 104.3 FM, 770 AM)Social: Twitter | Instagram

Last time outCam Maclise and Michael Huntebrinker each had a goal and an assist, and Cam Johnson yielded an individual season-low one goal to push the Everblades to a 4-1 win over the Orlando Solar Bears on Thursday at the Amway Center. In the fourth meeting between the two teams in nine days, Maclise and Zach Magwood scored a little more than four minutes apart in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and help give Florida its fifth straight win in the season series with Orlando. RECAP | BOX SCORE

Series At A GlanceSaturday is the first of only six total regular season meetings between the Everblades and Gladiators this year, and each team will host three games. The six head-to-head tilts are the fewest in one season since the two teams met six times in the 2007-08 campaign. Florida owns a convincing 100-53-15 all-time record against the Gladiators and has been even more dominant since Brad Ralph took over as head coach in the 2016-17 season. The 'Blades are a combined 30-3-0-1 in that three-year stretch against Atlanta, with an 18-1-0-0 mark at Infinite Energy Arena. 

Players to WatchJohn McCarron (FLA) - Entering Saturday night, the Everblades captain is riding a career-high eight-game point streak, which is one game more than the previous career-high that he had accomplished on two occasions. Coincidentally, the goal McCarron scored on Thursday to extend his point streak to eight games was his 100th career pro goal. 

Dante Hannoun (ATL) – The rookie forward has been one of the key offensive pieces for the Gladiators to start the season. Though he went five games without a point from Oct. 25-Nov. 9, he is still averaging more than a point per game through 10 games played, with two goals and nine assists. His points have come in bunches, with four different multi-point outings, including two three-point games. 

Getting AheadFlorida had faced at least one deficit in all of its first 12 games of the season before Thursday's affair in Orlando. The 'Blades scored first against the Solar Bears for the first time in the season series on Thursday and never trailed en route to the win, the first time this year it has not fallen behind. The Everblades have now scored first in three games this season. 

Second SuccessFlorida has turned over a new leaf of late when it comes to its offense in the second period. The 'Blades posted just nine goals in the middle frame of their first 10 games but have now accounted for eight tallies in the second period in their last three contests. Last season, Florida was the best second-period team in the league, finishing with a league-best 100 goals and +40 goal differential in the period.  

Getting OffensiveWith their four-goal output on Thursday, the Everblades have scored more than three goals in consecutive games for the first time since the first three games of the season, when they scored 13 times in three straight tilts against Norfolk. In fact, before this current two-game run, Florida had scored more than three goals only once since the first three games of the season, putting up four goals in a 4-3 overtime win over Toledo on Nov. 2. 

NEXT UPFlorida wraps up its first of three four-game weeks this season with a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.  

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