GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – For the second straight game, the Adirondack Thunder netted three goals in the first period against the Florida Everblades. Despite a valiant effort, there was no successful comeback as the Blades fell 5-3 on Friday night at Cool Insuring Arena.
Shane Harper (7:01) got the scoring started for the Thunder, quickly followed by Tristan Ashbrook (8:34). In the dying seconds of the first period, Patrick Grasso scored a shorthanded goal (19:24) to give Adirondack a 3-0 lead at the first intermission.
After a quiet start to the second period, Grasso found the back of the net again (14:21) to make it a 4-0 game. The Thunder looked poised to take that lead into the locker room, but Oliver Chau (17:56) broke the ice for the Everblades to cut the lead back to three. The period ended with the Thunder up 4-1.
Florida continued its momentum early in the third period. Mark Senden (3:36) intercepted a pass while shorthanded, took it the other way, and capitalized on the breakaway opportunity with a backhand, five-hole finish to make it 4-2. Past the midway point of the period, the Blades owned a 5-on-3 man advantage after two quick Thunder penalties. Sean Josling (11:46) sniped home a laser of a wrist shot from the high slot to light the lamp and give the Blades their third unanswered goal. The goal was Josling’s 100th professional point.
In the final minute of play, the Everblades pulled netminder Evan Cormier for an extra skater to attempt to level the game. Despite a strong effort out front, the Thunder won the puck back and fired it in for the empty-net tally (19:16). The game would finish 5-3 in favor of Adirondack.
Florida goalie Evan Cormier turned aside 20 of the 24 shots he saw.
Opposite him, Vinnie Purpura made 38 saves on 41 shots and earned the win for the Thunder.
The loss snaps the Everblades’ seven-game point streak dating back to Nov. 11.
Florida and Adirondack will play the final game of the three-game set tomorrow night, Dec. 2, at 7:00 p.m.
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