Estero, Fla.- The Jacksonville Icemen and Florida Everblades entered Saturday night’s game at Hertz Arena with different objectives. The Icemen wanted to win the game and close out the two-time Kelly Cup Champions, and the Everblades wanted a win to extend the series to game six.
Game four saw both teams play a physical, constrictive style of play. The Everblades carried the play for most of the first half of the game, but when they managed to get a shot through the clogged shooting lanes, they couldn’t capitalize on the rebounds as the Icemen defenders tied up the Everblades’ forwards. If the Everblades were to compete and win game five they would have to figure out how to get pucks on net and position themselves to direct the rebounds into the back of the net. The Icemen needed to maintain their energy and style of play to give them a great chance to win the game and the series. Matt Vernon and Cam Johnson were back in net for their teams, marking the fifth time for each netminder in the series. Vernon has been the better of the goaltenders in the series, winning three games, two by shutout, and only giving up five goals in the four games. Johnson, on the other hand, has struggled. He had let in four goals three times in the series and 13 total. Nonetheless, head coach Brad Ralph went back to the goalie for the must-win game five. Coach Ralph also reinserted Todd Skirving into the lineup; he sat out game four when Reed Lebster took his spot.
5,247 mostly partisan fans cheered the Everblades as they came out on the ice. The first period started much like the night before, with the Everblades carrying the play. That momentum was killed at 1:27 when Matt Wedman received a two-minute penalty for high-sticking. The shaky penalty kill, however, killed off the two minutes, and the teams resumed five-on-five play. Unlike the previous four games, the Icemen wouldn’t be the first team to score. That credit went to Bobo Carpenter (1) at 19:35 when he beat Vernon on a rebound just outside the crease. Jesse Lansdell had the initial shot; he and Riese Zmolek received assists on the play. With the horn sounding, the Everblades would take the 1-0 lead to the locker room. The goal by Carpenter broke his scoring drought in the playoffs, having recorded one assist in the previous four games. The Icemen did manage seven shots on goal, four high-quality, but Johnson turned everything away.
Logan Lambdin (1) scored on a rebound from a shot by Sean Josling at 1:34 of the second period, giving the Everblades a 2-0 lead. Captain Joe Pendenza also assisted on the goal. Lambdin recorded his first series point and served as the game-winner. Icemen Craig Martin took a two-minute penalty for hooking at 5:29. The Everblades showed life in the powerplay unit by maintaining possession of the puck in the Icemen zone for two minutes. Still, they could not score on their eleventh powerplay of the series. Chris Grando got the Icemen on the board with his goal at 10:10. Matheson Iacopelli and Garrett Van Whye recorded assists on the goal. Garret Cockerill was sent to the sin bin at 13:43 for roughing. The Everblades had another strong powerplay, but Vernon kept the puck out of the net. At 17:00, Mark Senden (1) wristed a shot short side, beating Vernon and putting the Everblades back ahead by two. Jordan Sambrook and Zach Berzolla assisted on the goal. The Everblades were in new territory in the series when they took their second lead of the game to the locker room. The Everblades outshot the Icemen 15-13 for the period and 24-20 for the game.
The Everblades increased their defensive play in the third period, shutting down the Icemen transition game and playing the tight, physical game that the Icemen used in game four. The Everblades took two penalties in the third, Jordan Sambrook for roughing at 3:09 and Will Reilly for an illegal check to the head at 6:41. The Icemen managed one shot on the first powerplay and two on the second. Johnson stopped all eight shots the Icemen sent him in the third and took the win, 3-1. He made 27 of 28 saves for a 0.964 save percentage, his best of the series. Vernon took his second loss with a 0.903 save percentage. All four goal-scorers recorded their first goal of the series.
The Everblades win marked the first complete game they’d played in round one and gave the team some confidence as they head north to Jacksonville for the remaining games in the series. The Icemen didn’t play their best game, but they’ve shown themselves capable of shutting down the Everblades’ attack while finding goals against Johnson. They return to home ice and a raucous crowd.
After the game, I sat down with three members of the Florida Everblades to discuss the difference tonight and what they can expect back in Jacksonville.
ABC/NBC: A smile on your face after a win. What are your thoughts after the game?
Everblades Head Coach Brad Ralph: I’m really proud of the guys. They came out hungry to score that first goal, and they stuck with it until we did, and then we didn’t let up. We know it takes a full 60 minutes to beat Jacksonville, and we certainly played that tonight. We need to keep learning and getting better.
ABC/NBC: Your team scored the first goal of the first period of the series tonight with only 25 seconds left. How was it at the break having a little sigh of relief?
BR: We’ve been avoiding the first goal conversation, but the guys had it this morning. The analytics when you score first are heavily skewed in your favor. They were hungry during the first period, discussing how we would score first. It was nice to see Bobo Carpenter go to the net and get rewarded. I thought we were doing many good things offensively, but that first goal was huge, especially at the end of a period. We could feel a significant momentum shift when that happened.
ABC/NBC: You mentioned last night that belief will be the most important thing coming out of this 3-1 hole; how much more belief do you have after this win?
BR: We’re a confident team. When you’re in these elimination games, it takes work. Our attitude and energy were one of belief this morning. We must put the work in every night, and we have the experience, and you can rely on that in these moments.
ABC/NBC: Your offense had an uptick today, but the defense played tremendous, especially in the third, killing off the two penalties. How important was it for you to see your defense lock in when they needed to most?
BR: Our penalty kill has struggled this series, so seeing us stand tall and shut the door was excellent. Our defense was great, and we did a lot of great things offensively, specifically in the first period. It’s great when you’ve been shut out twice in a series to come back and score three goals.
Inside the Rink: Last night, you mentioned that you needed to make changes for this game. Other than reinserting Todd Skirving in the lineup for Reed Lebster, what did you change?
BR: We changed up the lines and some powerplay combinations. We made minor tweaks to some of the things we were doing, but nothing major. The message this morning was to stick to what we’ve been doing. Our changes kept them on their heels and gave our guys some confidence.
ITR: On the powerplay tonight, I noticed that you were moving the puck well and maintaining puck possession in the zone. Is that something you can build on?
BR: We’re going to need our powerplay to step up and score a couple of goals in the next game. We’ve identified that we were turning the puck over in our passing, but the guys did a good job moving the puck. We had a different setup for us, and I think we can get better in that area. There were a lot of good signs, but it was one game. We need to do it again in the next game.
ABC/NBC: Tonight’s win was crucial to keeping the season alive, and you played a big part in that. Tell me what’s going on in your mind.
Everblades Forward Logan Lambdin: There is optimism throughout the whole room, and the guys are playing great. We’re confident and looking forward to heading to Jacksonville for the next game.
ABC/NBC: What was the focus tonight?
LL: We’re just getting pucks to the net and getting bodies to the net. When we get guys to crash the net and get pucks to them, they have a hard time playing with us.
ABC/NBC: How does tonight’s win give you the confidence going into the next game, knowing you have to win two more to move on?
LL: It’s a huge help. As long as we play with confidence, we’re hard to beat.
ABC/NBC: The third period was about the defense killing off the two penalties. Did anything change in the locker room during the break to lock in defensively?
LL: No, we just stuck to the script, and everyone knew what their job needed to be. We just kept heading in the right direction.
ABC/NBC: What was the pre-game conversation in the locker room? Was there anything said to give you a boost to help get the win tonight?
LL: No, we focused on the video and how to crack their defense. That’s been our primary focus.
ITR: You scored the game-winner tonight, and Bobo Carpenter scored the game’s first goal. How does it feel to finally get a goal in the series?
LL: It was nice to get that first goal. We were focused on getting that first goal tonight. When they’re trailing after the first period, their win percentage is around 20%. As long as we get the first ones, everything else in the game is easier.
ITR: In last night’s game, you were getting a lot of pucks on Matt Vernon, and he seemed to kick many of those out into the slot area, but you couldn’t capitalize. Was that bad luck on the bounces, or were you playing too tight?
LL: It was a little bit of both. It’s shot selection. We were floating a lot of pucks outside the house, and tonight, we were looking to drive them closer to the net and then make plays off the net. We just stuck to the script and kept going to the net, getting in the dirty areas, and getting pucks there instead of floating them from outside.
ITR: It was like a tale of two games. Last night was up and down for the team. You had a lot of momentum, but in the second period, the wheels came off. In tonight’s game, you played well for 60 minutes. What are you seeing from the bench?
Everblades Backup Goaltender David Tendeck: They’re a good team in Jacksonville, but if we can play a full 60, we’re more than capable of beating them.
ITR: Can you explain your role as a backup goalie on the bench and how you stay focused on the game in case you’re needed?
DT: The role of a backup is always to be ready. It’s a mental game, and you must do what you need to do to prepare. I also help with morale on the bench.
ITR: Are you talking to the team or letting the coaches know what you see?
DT: I’ll let the boys know if I see something with the opposing goalie. My job is to pick up a player if he’s down and be ready in case I’m called on. Hockey is an unpredictable sport, so you must always be prepared.
ITR: What do you see in Matt Vernon’s play?
DT: He’s a solid goalie, and we must keep working. They play well around him, so we have to keep battling. It’s harder some nights to get to the rebounds.
ITR: How has Todd Skirving been in the locker room?
DT: He’s a ball of energy. He gets all of us up and going. He’s a happy guy, and that’s nice to see at the rink every day. He makes me laugh. He’s a great guy.
ITR: The team defense and Cam Johnson have struggled in this series. What do you see?
DT: Everyone in this building has trust and confidence in Cam. The Icemen get few shots but when they do, they’re high chance. I think Cam is the best goalie in the league.
Thanks to Everblades head coach Brad Ralph, forward Logan Lambdin, and backup goaltender David Tendeck for answering some questions.
The Icemen can end the series on home ice or, with an Everblades win, they’ll have one more chance at home to move to the second round. Game six is back in Jacksonville at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday, if necessary. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
