ESTERO, Fla. — The Florida Everblades earned four of a possible six points in their three-game set against the Maine Mariners, opening the series with a 4–2 win Wednesday and securing points in both Friday’s overtime loss and Saturday’s shootout setback. 

Despite falling in extra time in the final two games, Florida gained ground in the standings and are now tied with the Atlanta Gladiators for the top spot in the South Division while sitting three points ahead of the South Carolina Stingrays, who are third in the division. The Everblades trail the Wheeling Nailers by one point for the Eastern Conference lead heading into the middle of February. 

Johnson Anchors the Crease

Cam Johnson started all three games in Florida’s series against Maine, marking the first time this season he has made three consecutive starts. With Will Cranley in the American Hockey League and newly acquired Kyle McClellan not arriving until Thursday, the Everblades dressed an emergency backup goaltender for Wednesday’s opener, further solidifying Johnson’s workload for the week.

Johnson helped Florida secure four of a possible six points in the series, including a shutout in the finale. Over the three-game set, he posted a .944 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average.

Assistant coach Kyle Mountain noted Johnson’s impact following Friday’s contest.

“I thought he had a really strong one Wednesday night and followed it up tonight with another really good one,” Mountain said. “He bailed us out a couple times on the penalty kill and at five-on-five as well, kept us in that game and gave us a really good chance to win.”

The shutout was the 18th of Johnson’s ECHL career, moving him into a tie for fifth all-time in league history. He has now allowed two goals or fewer in five of his last six starts and carries a 2.16 goals-against average this season while ranking second among ECHL goaltenders in minutes played (1,638).

With roster movement impacting the crease throughout the week, Johnson’s workload and consistency provided stability during a transitional stretch for Florida.

Lambdin Finding His Stride

Logan Lambdin scored two of Florida’s three power-play goals during the series against Maine while continuing to build momentum after missing the first 31 games of the season due to injury. The forward has recorded four points (3g–1a) over his last five games and finished the three-game set with 10 shots on goal.

Lambdin’s production has coincided with increased usage, particularly on the power play. He led Florida with five shots on goal in Friday’s contest and was tied for the team lead with three shots in Wednesday’s opener.

His recent surge has come amid continued lineup movement for the Everblades. Florida dressed 11 forwards in Wednesday’s opener and adjusted combinations throughout the series due to call-ups, injuries, and illness. Lambdin began the week skating alongside Oliver Cooper at center and Reid Duke on the right side before shifting to a unit centered by Craig Needham for two of the three games.

Despite the movement around him, Lambdin has continued to generate offense while contributing in key situations.

Standout Performers

Craig Needham – Needham powered Florida’s 4–2 victory Wednesday with a three-point performance (1g–2a), marking his second three-point outing of the season. The forward factored into three of the club’s four goals in the series opener and continues to provide steady offensive production.

Tarun Fizer – Fizer scored in his first game back from injury Wednesday after missing the previous 13 contests. The goal was his 10th of the season, tying him for fourth on the team.

Oliver Chau – Chau recorded a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s series opener, marking his first goal since January 25 at South Carolina. The captain ranks third on the team in scoring with 26 points and third on the team with 19 helpers.

Jordan Sambrook – Sambrook notched assists in each of the first two games of the series, extending his point streak to four games before it was snapped Saturday. The defenseman continues to lead Florida’s blue line with 24 points and ranks fourth in the ECHL with a +27 rating.

By the Numbers

Florida has not lost in regulation this season when wearing specialty jerseys posting a 9-0-2-2 record in 14 contests this season. 

The Everblades penalty kill has been perfect over its last four games successfully killing off all 14 they have been tasked with defending. Overall, Florida’s penalty kill ranks second in the ECHL operating at 87.8 percent. 

Anthony Romano is riding a four-game point streak (2g-2a) and has points in six of his last seven contests recording nine points during this stretch (5g-4a). The 25-year-old forward leads Florida with 44 points tied for 15^th most in the ECHL.

The Everblades are tied for the second most games this season decided after regulation with 12 including each of their last two decisions. Florida is 4-6 in overtime games and 0-2 in shootouts this season. 

Brad Ralph’s group has converted a power play marker in four of their last five home games executing 37.5 percent of their opportunities (6/16) during this span. 

Weekly Rewind (1-0-1-1)

Wednesday: Florida 4, Maine 2 | Game Sheet

Florida opened the three-game set with a 4–2 victory over Maine at Hertz Arena as special teams provided the difference. Oliver Chau capitalized on a power-play rebound at 15:03 of the first period to give the Everblades the early lead, and Tarun Fizer restored Florida’s advantage in the second after Maine briefly tied the contest.

Logan Lambdin extended the lead with a power-play goal midway through the second, finishing off a sequence with assists from Chau and Craig Needham. Maine answered 20 seconds later to pull within one, but Needham sealed the win late in the third with a quick glove-side finish. Florida outshot the Mariners 32–18, while Cam Johnson stopped 16 of 18 shots in the victory.

Friday: Maine 2, Florida 1 (OT) | Game Sheet

The Everblades fell 2–1 in overtime Friday night as the Mariners evened the series. Maine opened the scoring late in the first period, but Lambdin answered in the second with a power-play one-timer to tie the game at 1–1, with assists from Jordan Sambrook and Anthony Romano.

Florida held a 15–5 shot advantage in the second period and carried momentum into the third, but neither side broke through in regulation. Brooklyn Kalmikov netted the overtime winner at the 2:06 mark to secure the extra point for Maine. Florida finished with 29 shots, while Johnson made 29 saves in the overtime setback.

Saturday: Maine 1, Florida 0 (SO) | Game Sheet

Florida closed the series with a 1–0 shootout loss in a defensive battle at Hertz Arena. Both goaltenders were flawless through regulation and overtime, with Johnson stopping 23 shots and Brad Arvanitis turning aside 36.

The Everblades outshot Maine 36–23 through 67 minutes and generated several quality chances, including a potential overtime winner that was waved off, but the game remained scoreless into the shootout. Reid Duke scored in the third round for Florida, but Maine converted in rounds three and four to secure the victory.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Blades continue their season-long five-game homestand Friday night with the start of a two-game set against in-state foe Jacksonville before traveling Sunday for a matinee matchup with the Orlando Solar Bears. 

Florida is 2-1-1 in four meetings this season against the Icemen, including a 2-1 mark at Hertz Arena. Anthony Romano leads the Everblades in the season series with six points (2g–4a), while Jacksonville’s Matteo Constantini has five points (1g–4a), highlighted by a three-assist performance in the most recent meeting on January 17. 

Entering the week, the Icemen sit seventh in the South Division with 42 points and trail Savannah by 10 points for the final playoff position. Jacksonville is coming off a 3–1 loss to South Carolina and is 2-6-2 over its last 10 games. 

Florida closes the week Sunday afternoon at the Kia Center with a 3:00 p.m. ET faceoff against Orlando. The matchup marks the first meeting between the clubs since a 4–3 overtime decision January 3. The Everblades are 6-1-1 against the Solar Bears this season, including a 3-0 mark in Orlando, though each of the last four meetings has been decided by one goal.

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