ESTERO, Fla. – Four second-period goals by four different players and another shutout by goaltender Cam Johnson was the magic formula for the Florida Everblades in a dominant 5-0 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings Saturday night at Hertz Arena. A sellout crowd of 7,375 saw the Blades close out the three-game sweep of the K-Wings, as Florida is one win away from its third four-game winning streak of the young season.
Johnson stopped all 23 shots he faced to become the first ECHL goaltender to reach eight wins this season, as he posted his third shutout in his last four starts.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, fortunes changed quickly and in a big way for the Everblades, as four second-period goals dispatched the K-Wings for the third-straight night. Colin Theisen opened the scoring at the 2:09 mark, while Logan Lambdin converted on the power play to put the Blades ahead 2-0 at 9:39. Kyle Betts tacked on another tally at 12:07, while Carson Gicewicz capped off the big period with a goal for the third-straight game at 17:33, as the Blades held a 4-0 advantage heading into the third period.
Gicewicz, who also had an assist on Lambdin’s goal, closed out the scoring with his second goal of the game at 13:16 of the third period, giving the Everblades extra insurance and a 5-0 lead. The three-point night for Gicewicz was his first as an Everblade.
Florida outshot Kalamazoo in the game by a 34-22 margin, taking more shots than the visitors in each of the three periods.
Next up for the Everblades will be a holiday road trip to the Hoosier State for three games in three days versus the Fort Wayne Komets. The busy stretch begins with a Thanksgiving night feast Thursday, November 28 followed by contests on Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30. Each of the three games in Fort Wayne will get underway at 7:30 p.m.
Following a pair of contests in Jacksonville against the Icemen on Thursday, December 5 and Friday, December 6, the Everblades return to Hertz Arena to wrap up that three-game series on Saturday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. That contest will feature the annual Teddy Bear Toss with a special jersey auction to benefit Bear Necessities. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
