PREVIEW: 'Blades battle Admirals to close five-game homestand

ESTERO, Fla. — Winners of six straight games at home, the Florida Everblades (37-12-3-2, 79 pts.) wrap up a five-game homestand, their second-longest homestand of the season, with a Saturday night matchup against the Norfolk Admirals (12-33-6-0, 30 pts.) at Hertz Arena. 

VITALS:Game 55: Everblades vs. Norfolk AdmiralsWhen: 7 p.m. ETWhere: Hertz ArenaTickets: TicketmasterWatch: ECHL TVListen: WJBX (101.5 FM, 104.3 FM, 770 AM)Social: Twitter | InstagramPromotion: Medieval Night

Last time outLukas Craggs had a career-high three points (2g, 1a), and the 'Blades scored six goals for the second straight game to earn a 6-3 win over the Jacksonville Icemen on Friday. Playing the Icemen for the first time since Jan. 25, Florida overcame an early 1-0 deficit and scored four straight goals to push its home point streak to 10 games (9-0-1-0). Making his third straight start, Florida goalie Ken Appleby stopped 25 shots to pick up his 24th win of the year. RECAP

Series At A GlanceSaturday is the fourth and final meeting between the Everblades and Norfolk this season and the first matchup between the two teams since Florida's third game of the season on Oct. 19. Florida swept the Admirals in the season-opening series in Norfolk, Virginia, with 4-3 and 5-2 wins on Oct. 11-12, respectively. The 'Blades have lost just twice in regulation against the Admirals since they joined the ECHL in the 2015-16 season. Florida is 19-2-3 in the all-time series. 

Players to WatchMichael Huntebrinker (FLA) - Huntebrinker's shorthanded goal on Friday was hardly a new feat for the third-year pro. He is now tied for second in the league with four goals on the penalty kill this year, while his six shorthanded points (4g, 2a) put him into a three-way tie for first. Oddly enough, Huntebrinker entered this season without a shorthanded goal in his career. He had tabbed 38 goals over his first three seasons in the league from 2016-19, but of the 10 goals he had scored on special teams, all were on the power play. 

Alex Rodriguez (NOR) -  With Roman Ammirato hurt and Josh Holmstrom and Darik Angeli no longer on the team, Rodriguez is now tied for the team lead in scoring among active players. The second-year pro is one of just four active Admirals who has reached the 20-point plateau. Rodriguez, who split his college career between RPI (NCAA) and Augsburg University (NCAA III), is the team leader in goals with 12 and has notched multiple points in four games this season. 20 ClubWith Friday's win, Florida hit the 20-win plateau on home ice this season. The Everblades have now achieved 20 home wins in all but two of their 22 seasons in the ECHL. Head coach Brad Ralph has upped the ante in his tenure, as his teams have won 25 or more games at home in each of his first three seasons. Prior to Ralph, there were only four other seasons with 25 or more home wins in the first 18 years of the franchise. Florida needs wins in five of its last eight home games hit the 25-win mark at home this year. 

Scoring ShorthandedFlorida continued its scoring prowess on the penalty kill with Michael Huntebrinker's shorthanded tally on Friday against Jacksonville. That goal was the Everblades' 11th shorthanded strike of the season, which puts them in sole possession of second place in the league in that category. Florida has registered 28 goals while on the penalty kill over the last two seasons, a total that leads the league. In fact, only two other teams have netted more than 20 shorthanded goals over the last two seasons, Orlando (27) and Fort Wayne (21).  

Regal RookiesThe rookie trio of Lukas Craggs, Hunter Garlent and Hugo Roy has played a key role in Florida's success in the last two weeks. All three players carry point streaks of at least five games into Saturday's matchup against Norfolk and have combined for 12 goals and 28 points since Craggs returned to the 'Blades from the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals on Feb. 7. Garlent leads the way with an active six-game point streak and has 10 points (3g, 7a) in that stretch. 

Tonight's Stick GiveawayHere are some guidelines regarding tonight's 'Blades hockey stick giveaway for the first 400 fans.

• Vouchers to be exchanged for a hockey stick will only be given out at the Pro Shop entrance to Hertz Arena starting at 5 p.m. Fans must have a printed ticket. Mobile tickets are not valid for the giveaway. Fans can have their tickets printed at the box office if they have mobile tickets. 
• Limit one (1) voucher per person with a valid ticket. 
• Stick pick-up will be available OUTSIDE the pro shop entrance starting at the beginning of the third period
• Once you have picked up your stick, you CANNOT re-enter the building  

Next UpFlorida finishes out a four-game weekend with a Sunday afternoon road matinée against the Jacksonville Icemen. Faceoff is set for 3 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Arena. 

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