ESTERO, Fla. – Jesse Lansdell scored two goals and added an assist, while Logan Lambdin, Colton Hargrove and Kris Myllari each registered a goal and two assists as the Florida Everblades dispatched the Atlanta Gladiators 6-0 in front of 6,636 fans Saturday night at Hertz Arena. Five different players scored goals for the Blades in the team’s third win in as many games to open the 2024-25 season.
In addition to the team’s highest-scoring game of the young season, Florida goaltender Will Cranley made 25 saves in his Everblades debut and earned his first career professional shutout.
For the first time this year, the Everblades scored first, finding the net twice in the opening period to claim a 2-0 lead. Hargrove got the scoring started, taking a pass from Lansdell, slipping past the Atlanta defense and registering his first goal of the year at the 15:13 mark. Jordan Sambrook also added an assist.
Just 2:47 later, Lansdell tipped in a blast from Lambdin to double Florida’s lead. Myllari added a secondary helper on Lansdell’s first marker of the campaign, a power-play goal that capped the opening 20 minutes.
Three second-period goals extended the Blades’ advantage to 5-0. Lambdin stuffed home his first goal of the year just 80 seconds into the middle frame, with Hargrove and Adrien Bisson earning the assists. Myllari added his first of the year at the 15:12 mark with Hargrove and Lambdin both tallying their second helper and third point of the night to extend the lead to 4-0. Colin Theisen added his second tally of the year at 18:43, with Myllari and Jeremie Biakabutuka picking the apples, as Florida cruised into the second intermission with a five-goal lead.
Lansdell closed out the scoring at 9:11 of the third period with his second goal of the game, with Bisson and Sambrook both picking up their second helpers of the contest.
Florida outshot Atlanta in each of the first two periods, winning the overall shots on goal battle by a 30-25 margin.
Next up, the Everblades will open a three-game road trip against the Gladiators in Duluth, Georgia on Wednesday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m., before visiting the South Carolina Stingrays for a pair of contests In North Charleston, S.C. on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2 at 7:05 p.m. and 6:05 p.m., respectively.
The Blades will return to Hertz Arena on Friday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, November 9 at 7:00 p.m. for a pair of battles against their in-state foe, the Orlando Solar Bears. On Friday, fans can take advantage of the always popular 239 Friday deal and purchase two tickets, one program and two pizza slices for $39. In addition to an Everblades Lanyard Giveaway courtesy of Arthrex, kids under 12 can eat free at Breakaway Sports Pub. Saturday’s Military Night game will feature a military jersey giveaway courtesy of the National Coalition for Patriots (NCFP), while the Blades will don special military jerseys that will be auctioned with proceeds going to NCFP. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
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BLADES BITS
The Everblades last 3-0 start came during the 2020-21 season, when the team opened the campaign with five straight victories. A delayed start to that season saw regular-season action get underway on December 11 with a 6-1 triumph over Jacksonville, as the Blades picked up the first of five straight W’s by a combined 25-7 margin before falling for the first time 15 days later on December 28, a 5-3 setback to the Icemen.
Colin Theisen became the first Blade to score his second goal of the season, Jesse Lansdell posted the first two-goal game by an Everblade this season, while Colton Hargrove, Logan Lambdin and Kris Myllari made it 10 different Blades to find the net in the team’s first three contests of 2024-25. Lansdell (2G, 1A), Lambdin (1G, 2A), Hargrove (1G, 2A) and Myllari (1G, 2A) each registered the only three-point games by Everblade skaters this season. Jordan Sambrook picked up his first two-assist game of the year.
Cranley was victorious in his Everblades debut, turning aside 25 shots en route to his 10th career ECHL victory and first professional shutout. Last season, the former sixth round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft posted a combined 9-15-4 mark in 33 total games with the Reading Royals and Utah Grizzlies.
With the victory, the Everblades won for the ninth consecutive time versus the Gladiators. Atlanta last defeated the Everblades on April 14, 2023, claiming a 3-1 decision at Hertz Arena.
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