Sixth sense: 'Blades top Swamp Rabbits for sixth straight win

GREENVILLE, S.C. — John McCarron scored 2:16 into overtime to lift the Florida Everblades to a 5-4 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Sunday afternoon at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

BOX SCORE

In their third game in three days, the Everblades (22-8-2-2, 48 pts.) overcame two separate deficits and received a three-point game from Logan Roe (2g-1a) to extend their season-high winning streak to six games.

Greenville (17-17-1-1, 36 pts.) opened the scoring on a goal by Patrick Bajkov 5:38 into the first, but the Everblades responded with two goals in two minutes, three seconds to take their first lead of the night.

Patrick McCarron helped create Florida’s first goal of the game. He wove through traffic to free space in the left circle and fed the puck to the back post for a tap-in by Blake Winiecki at the 12:05 mark of the first.

Florida took the lead on a goal from Roe. From the right goal line extended, Patrick McCarron found Roe wide open in the left circle. After collecting the pass, Roe rifled a shot through the five-hole of Greenville goaltender Jeremy Helvig at 14:08 of the first.

The Swamp Rabbits grabbed the lead back on goals by Jake Horton and Nathan Perkovich. Horton scored with 23 seconds left in the first on a deflection from the top of the crease, and Perkovich redirected a shot past Everblades goaltender Tom McCollum (28 saves) at 4:26 of the second.

Again, the ‘Blades battled back from a one-goal deficit, scoring consecutive goals to wrestle the lead from Greenville. On Florida’s first power play of the game, defenseman Nick Schaus located Zach Magwood alone in the left circle, and Magwood roofed a snapshot over Helvig’s blocker with 7:05 left in the second.

Florida then snapped up the lead with Roe’s second tally of the night in the waning seconds of the middle frame. Facing the end boards, Winiecki managed to slip a backhand pass to the slot for Roe. Roe hammered the one-time feed over Helvig’s blocker with only four seconds left in the period.

Greenville tied the game with just five seconds left in regulation, as Bajkov managed to lift a puck over McCollum on a net-mouth scramble.

But, less than three minutes into overtime, John McCarron forced a turnover and scored on a backhand shot on the ensuing breakaway to give the ‘Blades their fourth overtime win of the year.

‘BLADES BITES

• Florida’s six-game winning streak is two wins shy of its longest winning streak in the last two seasons. The ‘Blades won eight straight games from March 2-15, 2019.
• John McCarron’s overtime winner was the second overtime goal of his career. Coincidentally, his other overtime winner came on March 2, 2018, against Greenville.
• Roe has two career multi-goal games, and both have come this season.
• Florida had a 35-32 edge in shots on goal and has outshot its opponent in eight straight games.
• Blake Winiecki had a goal and an assist for his seventh multi-point game of the season, while Patrick McCarron's two-assist game was his first multi-point game of the year. 
• The ‘Blades have scored a power-play goal in six of their last eight games and have converted on 6-of-18 power plays (33.3%) in that stretch.  

NEXT UPThe Everblades return to Florida for a Tuesday night home game against the Brampton Beast. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in the first meeting between the teams since Feb. 2017. 

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