SAVANNAH, Ga. – Craig Needham snapped a 2-2 tie early in the third period, Hudson Elynuik scored a pair of goals, and Cam Johnson stopped 37 straight shots – including 19 in the third period – as the Florida Everblades rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to claim a 3-2 victory over the Savannah Ghost Pirates in the rubber match of a three-game series Sunday afternoon in Enmarket Arena. 

Savannah got the scoring started with goals on each of its first two shots to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead after 3:33 of play. Josh Davies struck first with his sixth goal of the season at the 2:24 mark, as 7,485 Ghost Pirates faithful celebrated by unleashing their team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss festivities.  Cole Krygier doubled Savannah’s lead just over a minute later with his third of the campaign. 

Fending off the second of two Sean Allen minor penalties just over three minutes apart, the Everblades’ offense got rolling. Elynuik potted a shorthanded tally at the 14:36 mark, burying a feed from Oliver Chau for his ninth goal of the year, to get the Everblades on the board. The Blades trailed 2-1 at the first intermission.

The Elynuik show rolled on in the middle period, as his second goal of the afternoon tied the game at 2-2 just 4:31 into the stanza. Elynuik pounced on a rebound off a shot by Jordan Sambrook and became the first Florida player to score 10 goals this season. Jesse Lansdell also picked up an assist.

With the score tied 2-2 after 40 minutes, the Everblades needed just 80 seconds to take a 3-2 third period lead. Needham snapped the deadlock with his seventh goal of the season, burying a feed from Chau for the game-winner. Gianfranco Cassaro earned the secondary helper.

In goal, Johnson improved to 10-4-1-1, while his 37 saves were a season high. Former Everblade netminder Evan Cormier (3-5-1-0) posted 18 saves for the Ghost Pirates and suffered the loss.

The Everblades head into the annual ECHL holiday break and will welcome the Reading Royals to Hertz Arena for a trio of games December 27-29, the final games of the 2025 calendar year. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

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BLADES BITS

Hudson Elynuik notched the Blades’ sixth shorthanded goal of the 2025-26 season, which ties Florida for third in the ECHL after 27 games. The Everblades’ leading goal scorer with 10, Elynuik has registered three multiple-goal games this season, tops on the squad.

Two assists by Oliver Chau gave the Everblades captain 100 career helpers. Chau is tied with Anthony Romano for the team lead with 13 assists this season.

Jordan Sambrook joined Zach Berzolla as the only Everblades defensemen to register 10 assists this season. Sambrook’s assist was his 100^th career point.

The Everblades are 12-1-1-0 since November 19, earning points in 13 of the last 14 games.

Both teams combined to go 0-for-9 on the power play.

 

Sunday Afternoon’s Scoresheet 

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