WHO: Florida Everblades (1^st South) vs. South Carolina Stingrays (2^nd South)

FLA LEADS 1-0 

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ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades began the South Division Finals with a 22 save shutout from goaltender Cam Johnson to capture an important Game 1 victory over South Carolina. 

Johnson’s masterpiece was his second shutout of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs and 15^th of his career in the postseason. Both shutouts for the back-to-back ECHL Goaltender of the Year have come in series opening games helping Florida establish early control of the series. Some of the Troy, Michigan native’s best work came on the penalty kill backstopping Florida through three successful kills making five stops in the process. The Blades netminder leads the ECHL with a .969 save percentage and 0.80 goals-against average through five playoff games. 

For the fifth consecutive time Florida opened the scoring needing just 4:09 to grab an early lead on the first of two goals from Anthony Romano. Both Romano and Hudson Elynuik were key drivers to the Everblades attack each recording multi-point performances. The goals for Romano were his second and third of the postseason while Elynuik collected his first points of the playoffs after being held without a point against Savannah. 

Following the victory, Everblades forward Anthony Romano attributed the team’s success to their efforts defensively.

“We just played a simple game. Won lines got pucks deep and just turned them forced them to come 200 feet didn’t really turnover pucks at our blue line which gives them short transitions and we got key saves from Cam in important moments, and we have come to expect that from him.”

Special teams proved critical in Florida’s series opening victory converting an early power play just over three minutes into the second period thanks to Elynuik while the Blades penalty kill finished a perfect 3-for-3. The man advantage marker was Florida’s third of the postseason and are now operating at 18.8 percent with the extra skater, while their penalty kill is a perfect 12-for-12 this postseason. 

Logan Lambdin and Sean Allen each made their playoffs debut in Game 1 of the South Division finals and were both difference makers in the winning effort. Lambdin complimented the Elynuik and Romano line nicely tallying an assist on Romano’s second goal while Allen registered three shots on goal and dropped the gloves marking the first fight of the playoffs for Florida. 

The Everblades will look to take a 2-0 series lead tonight when the puck drops at 7:00 p.m. from Hertz Arena before the series shifts to South Carolina for games 3-5.

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