ECHL South Division Finals – Game 4 Recap: Florida Everblades vs Orlando Solar Bears

Florida Everblades forward Oliver Chau scored twice and goaltender Cam Johnson delivered a flawless 22-save shutout as the Florida Everblades defeated the Orlando Solar Bears 3-0 on Friday night at the Kia Center. The Game Four victory gives Florida a commanding 3-1 lead in the South Division Finals of the 2025 Kelly Cup Playoffs. With strong special teams, physical intensity, and timely scoring, the Everblades now have a chance to close out the series and punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final with a win in Game Five tonight.

First Period

The opening twenty minutes were intense and tightly contested, with both teams coming out with energy and aggression. Florida had the edge in offensive zone time and shot generation but couldn’t solve Solar Bears netminder Rylan Fanti. On the other end, Cam Johnson looked calm and composed, stopping all eight shots he faced.

Physicality ramped up quickly. Kyle Neuber and Kevin Myllari took matching interference penalties just 19 seconds apart, and shortly after, Tyler Bird added a roughing minor as tempers flared along the boards. Despite earning the better chances and forcing turnovers off the forecheck, the Everblades couldn’t capitalize. Both penalty kills were perfect, and the period closed scoreless.

Shots on Goal:
Florida – 11 | Orlando – 8

Penalties:
6:00 – FLA: Kyle Neuber – Interference (Minor)
6:19 – ORL: Kevin Myllari – Interference (Minor)
9:30 – ORL: Tyler Bird – Roughing (Minor)

Score: Florida 0 | Orlando 0

Second Period

Florida found the breakthrough just 3:27 into the second period, when Oliver Chau buried his first of the playoffs off a feed from Kyle Neuber and Isaac Nurse. The play developed quickly, with Neuber chasing down a puck below the goal line and firing a crisp pass to Chau, who finished cleanly from the slot to give Florida the lead.

GOAL (3:27): Oliver Chau (FLA) – Even Strength | Assisted by Kyle Neuber, Isaac Nurse

After the goal, Florida continued to push, but a roughing penalty to Adam Malmström at 5:40 slowed their momentum. The penalty kill stood tall again, denying Orlando any chance of getting into rhythm. The Everblades dictated the pace for much of the period, with disciplined breakouts and a relentless forecheck that kept the Solar Bears off balance.

Cam Johnson was again flawless, turning away all 10 shots he faced, including a pair of close-range chances during Orlando’s power play. As the period wound down, Orlando’s Dilan Touré was called for roughing at the buzzer, setting up Florida with a power play to open the third.

Shots on Goal:
Florida – 10 | Orlando – 10

Penalties:
5:40 – FLA: Adam Malmström – Roughing (Minor)
20:00 – ORL: Dilan Touré – Roughing (Minor; assessed at end of period)

Score: Florida 1 | Orlando 0

Third Period

Florida seized control of the game midway through the third with two quick strikes that buried Orlando’s hopes of a comeback. First, Chau doubled the lead with his second of the night, capitalizing on a pass from Kobe Betts and ripping a shot clean through traffic from the slot off a broken play.

GOAL (12:02): Oliver Chau (FLA) – Even Strength | Assisted by Kobe Betts, Jake Sambrook

Just 52 seconds later, Logan Lambdin added another dagger. Dillon Hamaliuk worked the puck deep and found Centorame, who fed Lambdin streaking through the right circle. Lambdin made no mistake, roofing a shot past Fanti to make it 3-0.

GOAL (12:54): Logan Lambdin (FLA) – Even Strength | Assisted by Dillon Hamaliuk, Santino Centorame

Orlando unraveled from there. Slashing calls against Mark Roelens and Kevin Bent followed by a massive scrum at 17:14 led to 14 penalties—including a match penalty to Roelens for an attempt to injure and misconducts to players on both sides. Florida maintained discipline where it mattered most: on the scoreboard.

In the final minutes, Florida’s Josh Lansdell and Orlando’s Tyson Feist picked up misconducts, adding to the 100 total penalty minutes logged in the game. Through it all, Cam Johnson remained unbeatable, stopping all four shots in the final frame to close out his 12th career playoff shutout—and his first of the 2025 postseason.

Shots on Goal:
Florida – 10 | Orlando – 4

Penalties:
13:08 – ORL: Mark Roelens – Slashing (Minor)
14:56 – ORL: Kevin Bent – Slashing (Minor)
17:14 – FLA: Santino Centorame – Misconduct (10 min)
17:14 – FLA: Chris Doherty – Roughing (Minor)
17:14 – FLA: Chris Doherty – Misconduct (10 min)
17:14 – FLA: Kyle Neuber – Fighting (Major)
17:14 – FLA: Kyle Neuber – Misconduct (10 min, Continuing Altercation)
17:14 – ORL: Kevin Bent – Roughing (Minor)
17:14 – ORL: Kevin Bent – Fighting (Major)
17:14 – ORL: Mark Roelens – Match Penalty (Deliberate Injury)
17:14 – ORL: Dilan Touré – Misconduct (10 min)
19:13 – FLA: Josh Lansdell – Slashing (Minor)
19:13 – FLA: Josh Lansdell – Misconduct (10 min)
19:13 – ORL: Tyson Feist – Misconduct (10 min)

Score: Florida 3 | Orlando 0

Goaltending Summary

• Cam Johnson (FLA): 22 saves on 22 shots | Shutout
• Rylan Fanti (ORL): 28 saves on 31 shots

Special Teams

• Florida: 0-for-5 Power Play
• Orlando: 0-for-2 Power Play
• Total Penalty Minutes: 100
  • Florida – 53
  • Orlando – 47

Three Stars of the Game

1st Star: Oliver Chau – 2 goals, including the game-winner
2nd Star: Isaac Nurse – 1 assist, +1 rating, strong forecheck
3rd Star: Cam Johnson – 22-save shutout, 54th career playoff win

What’s Next?

The Everblades will look to close out the series and punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final in Game Five on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET at Kia Center in Orlando.