From Adirondack’s Standpoint: Armand Klisivitch
The Adirondack Thunder and Florida Everblades will cap off their six-game season series this week after Adirondack took two out of three games from the Everblades back in early December back in Glens Falls. For Adirondack, they come into the series riding a 17-game point streak. However, they have lost three of their last six games in overtime. Heading to Sunny Florida, the Thunder will be without some key pieces as they will be missing Patrick Grasso (IR, Upper-Body), Zach Walker (Suspended), Nico Blachman (Will miss Wednesday’s game due to suspension), and Erik Middendorf and Colin Felix are both up with the Utica Comets.
For Adirondack, the biggest key for Adirondack is to find a way to pull out a win in regulation which they have been unable to do since January 26th vs Newfoundland Growlers in a 4-0 shutout by Jeremy Brodeur but since then all their games have gone to OT, where Adirondack has played a league high 17 OT games. Florida is a one of those teams who isn’t afraid to be physical and Adirondack is missing a few of their heavy hitters. If Adirondack want to keep the streak alive goaltending is going to have to play a pivotal role in Estero. We know one thing for certain, Adirondack has consistently found ways to win games of late no matter who’s on their roster.
Florida’s Standpoint: James Slemp
The upcoming three-game home series against the Adirondack Thunder is pivotal for the Florida Everblades. They currently sit in fifth place in the South Division with 31 games left and are just two points out of the final playoff spot. Two weeks ago, they briefly found themselves in a playoff spot before playing into a five-game losing streak, dropping games to teams they should have beaten. The losing streak is even more harsh as it comes on the heels of a season-high five-game winning streak, where the Everblades played some of their best hockey. It’s no secret that the Everblades have had trouble scoring this season. Their 3.07 goals per game is down from the previous two cup-winning seasons. The Adirondack Thunder, in contrast, are on a 17-game point streak, with their last loss coming December 29th. They’ve averaged 4.11 goals for and 2.41 goals against during their point streak.
Forwards Mark Senden and Sean Josling had a goal and two assists to lead the Everblades in scoring. The games were physical, with each team receiving 17 two-minute penalties and one fighting major. Even though only three defensemen and six forwards are on the active roster that skated in the series in November, the Everblades can compete with and beat the Thunder. The players know just how important this week is, and they will look to snap their losing streak, to end the Thunder’s winning streak, and to secure a spot in the playoffs. They must return to the formula that produced success:
Aggressive forechecking that slows the opponent’s breakouts and rushes.
Strong blueline presence that clogs the neutral zone and prevents easy zone entry.
Speed on offensive zone entry with quality shots.
The fans have grown accustomed to wins and championships. The Thunder can expect a loud and raucous fanbase at Hertz Arena. Saturday night’s game, the last game in this series, is already sold out, and the Everblades will be wearing their fan-favorite Skunk Ape jerseys.
