Big third period pushes Greenville past Everblades

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Six different players found the back of the net, and Jeremy Helvig stopped 42 shots to lead the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 6-2 win over the Florida Everblades on Friday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

BOX SCORE

Playing their fifth game in eight days, the Everblades (22-10-2-2, 48 pts.) yielded four goals in the third period in their first loss to the Swamp Rabbits (18-18-1-1, 38 pts.) in Greenville this season.

Just as Greenville’s first power play of the game expired, Nathan Perkovich gathered the puck in the left circle and sent a backhand shot over the blocker of Florida goaltender Ken Appleby. Perkovich’s 11th goal of the season put the Swamp Rabbits up 1-0 at the 6:17 mark of the first.

Florida tied the game in the first 90 seconds of the second period on Cody Sol’s first goal in an Everblades jersey. Following two close calls for the ‘Blades, Sol picked up the puck at the top of the left circle and hammered a shot past Helvig to tie the game at one.

Greenville went back ahead on a goal less than four minutes later. After Cédric Lacroix bumped into Appleby, Ryan Black sent a shot from the right wing into the back of the net with Appleby still scrambling to get back in position.

The Swamp Rabbits then scored the first three goals of the third period to take control of the game. Dylan MacPherson scored off the rush just 40 seconds into the third to make it 3-1. Jake Horton and Adam Rockwood then tallied goals just 1:16 apart to turn it into a 5-1 game.

Mike Neville scored for the second straight game, as he swatted in a rebound to bring the ‘Blades within three goals at 12:35 of the third.

But Greenville’s Kamerin Nault found the back of the net with less than five minutes left in the third to prevent any chance of a Florida comeback.

‘BLADES BITES

• Florida yielded the first goal of the game for the fourth straight contest. Florida is 2-2-0-0 in that four-game stretch.
• Greenville’s regulation win was just its second in the last 22 games against the Everblades. Florida is 18-2-2 in that 22-game span.
• The Everblades have outshot their opponent in 10 straight games, which is just one game shy of their longest stretch of outshooting their opponent this season. Florida outshot its opponent in 11 straight games from Nov. 2-22.
• Florida tied its season-high with 44 shots on goal, its highest shot total this season in a game that’s ended in regulation.  

NEXT UPFlorida finishes off the weekend with its sixth game in the last nine days, a Saturday night matchup against the South Carolina Stingrays at North Charleston Coliseum. Faceoff is set for 6:05 p.m. ET.

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