ESTERO, Fla. -- The Everblades (36-18-6-4) scored twice on the power play Wednesday night to take a series-opening 4-3 victory over the Idaho Steelheads (34-28-2-1) at Hertz Arena.

After raiding the offensive zone for much of the first period, Idaho turned around and made it 1-0 on a point shot from Jack Van Boekel at 17:25. It was a power play conversion with John McCarron committing the period’s lone infraction. Steelheads goaltender Jake Kupsky denied all eight Everblades chances. 

The Blades were able to right the ship in the early going of the second period with goals from Nathan Perkovich (1:30) and Joe Pendenza (1:46) to hop in front 2-1. Lukas Kaelble’s assist on the go-ahead marker represented his first point in an Everblades uniform. Colton Kehler (6:56) tied the game at two for Idaho, intercepting Chris McKay in the slot and chipping his shot home unassisted. Parker Gahagen made a myriad of saves in net for the Blades to close out the middle frame at 2-2.

Idaho took their second lead at 3-2 with 11:27 left in the game on a Will Merchant point-blank blast. It was the second time the Steelheads were successful on the power play. The Blades wouldn’t trail for long, as Blake Winiecki (13:02) found a gap along the near side of the net and tapped in the equalizing goal. With just 86 seconds left on the clock, Alex Aleardi took a snipe over the glove hand of Kupsky to put the Everblades ahead for good. The 4-3 outcome was the fourth time in five games that the final score came down to a single goal. 

The Everblades and Steelheads will play the second matchup of their three-game series this Friday, April 1 at Hertz Arena. During each Friday home game of the 2021-22 season, fans can enjoy the action with a brand-new 239 ticket package, which pays tribute to Southwest Florida's area code and provides a great deal! You get two tickets, two autographed programs, and two Pink Whitney mixed drinks for just $39! The action begins at 7:30pm and tickets can be purchased HERE.

Read more about the Blades’ busy promotional schedule and great deals HERE.

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JOIN THE FUN

2022 Kelly Cup Playoff Packages are now on sale. Join the Blades in their pursuit for a second Kelly Cup title! To learn more, call or text (239) 948-7825. 

Become a member of the Florida Everblades family by securing a great seat location and big savings with a Blades 365 Membership!

Purchase a new Voucher 12 package that allows you to use 12 tickets in any quantity during the 2022-23 season to earn the exclusive benefits of being a Blades 365 Member! To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits and options click HERE.

Everblades put the FUN in FUNdraising! There is no handling of money or tickets and no limit to the amount of money your group can make with the Everblades easy-to-run online Fundraiser! For more information, or to reserve a Fundraiser Night at an Everblades regular season home game, call or text (239) 948-7825.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Watch every Florida Everblades game on FloHockey.TV. Listen to the exciting game action on ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM, 98.1 FM, 104.3 FM and online at https://espnswfl.com or Mixlr at www.mixlr.com/florida-everblades. 

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

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