ESTERO, Fla. – The Everblades (34-17-5-4) concluded their three-game week at Hertz Arena, taking five of six possible points in the standings after holding off the Solar Bears (29-27-4-0) with a 3-2 final score on Saturday night.

Right as Orlando killed their first penalty of the night, Tristin Langan jumped on a loose puck and scored on the breakaway for the first Solar Bears goal of the series at 13:06 of the first period. At 19:10, Nathan Perkovich answered on the Everblades’ behalf by ripping a slapshot past goaltender Brad Barone from the right circle to tie the game 1-1. Levko Koper’s assist on the play was the 100th helper in his professional career. The first period proved to be a defensive one which saw just four Everblades shots compared to Orlando’s five.

For the second consecutive game, John McCarron scored the middle period’s only goal in the final minute. With 21 seconds remaining, the captain wound up from the midpoint and hit the net for his 150th all-time regular season mark. The tally placed Florida in front 2-1 before entering the third period.

Hunter Fejes of the Solar Bears made it an even game 5:56 into the final period, but Dylan Vander Esch regained the Blades advantage 11 seconds later at 3-2. Koper skated down the near wall and placed a perfect centering pass to Vander Esch at the crease for his 13th goal of the season. Despite a last-minute push, Everblades netminder Cam Johnson kept Orlando quiet and shut the door for his ninth win between the pipes.

As their seven-game homestand concludes, the Everblades hit the road for a 3-in-3 series beginning this Thursday, March 24 at the Orlando Solar Bears. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm and the action will be covered on FloHockey.TV as well as ESPN Southwest Florida on 770 AM, 98.1 FM, 104.3 FM and online at https://espnswfl.com or http://www.mixlr.com/florida-everblades.

The next Blades game at Hertz Arena will take place on Wednesday, March 30 for the opener of a three-game set against the Idaho Steelheads. Join us every Wednesday for $3 Bud Light drafts and $3 John Morrell hot dogs all night long! The action begins at 7:00pm 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 2021-22 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 listen at mixlr.com/florida-everblades.

Stay up to date by following the Florida Everblades on Social Media with all the latest news, scores and promotions on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tiktok, and Twitter.

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

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