ECHL South Division Finals – Game 5 Recap: Florida Everblades vs Orlando Solar Bears

Photo: Orlando Solar Bears

The Florida Everblades are headed to the Eastern Conference Final for the fourth straight season after defeating the Orlando Solar Bears 3-1 on Saturday night in Game Five of the South Division Finals. Cole Moberg scored the game-winning goal on the power play with under two minutes to play, while Cam Johnson turned away 14 shots in net. With the win, Florida clinched the series 4-1 and extended its ECHL-record postseason dominance with a 14th consecutive playoff series victory.

First Period

The Orlando Solar Bears drew first blood midway through the opening period. At 7:51, Anthony Bardaro capitalized on a clean setup by Chris Harpur and Jack Adams, giving the Solar Bears a 1-0 lead on just their second shot of the game.

GOAL (7:51): Anthony Bardaro (ORL) – Even Strength | Assisted by Chris Harpur, Jack Adams

The period took a physical turn shortly after. At 9:51, Florida’s Jesse Lansdell was assessed a major penalty for slashing, a minor for cross-checking, and a game misconduct, resulting in a seven-minute power play opportunity for Orlando. Djibril Touré picked up a roughing minor during the same sequence to briefly negate the man advantage. Later in the period, roughing penalties were exchanged between Connor Doherty and Brayden Low at 12:47, followed by a slashing call on Tyson Feist in the final minute.

Despite the flurry of penalties, the score remained 1-0 heading into the second.

Shots on Goal:
Florida – 9 | Orlando – 8

Penalties:

  • 9:51 – FLA: Jesse Lansdell – Slashing (Major), Cross-Checking (Minor), Game Misconduct
  • 9:51 – ORL: Djibril Touré – Roughing (Minor)
  • 12:47 – FLA: Connor Doherty – Roughing (Minor)
  • 12:47 – ORL: Brayden Low – Double Minor – Roughing
  • 19:30 – ORL: Tyson Feist – Slashing (Minor)

Score: Orlando 1 | Florida 0

Second Period

Florida pulled even early in the second frame. At 3:25, Colton Hargrove tipped in a point shot for his fifth goal of the playoffs, with Cole Moberg and Logan Lambdin picking up assists on the tying tally.

GOAL (3:25): Colton Hargrove (FLA) – Even Strength | Assisted by Cole Moberg, Logan Lambdin

The Everblades controlled much of the play throughout the period, outshooting Orlando 13-4. Penalty trouble returned midway through, starting with a tripping call on Orlando’s Chris Harpur at 7:49. Shortly after, Hargrove was called for slashing, and Moberg was tagged for tripping late in the frame, but neither team could convert on special teams.

Shots on Goal:
Florida – 13 | Orlando – 4

Penalties:

  • 7:49 – ORL: Chris Harpur – Tripping (Minor)
  • 8:54 – FLA: Colton Hargrove – Slashing (Minor)
  • 19:16 – FLA: Cole Moberg – Tripping (Minor)

Score: Florida 1 | Orlando 1

Third Period

The final period was all Florida, as the Everblades applied sustained pressure and outshot Orlando 15-3. The Solar Bears were penalized at 11:30 when Anthony Bardaro was called for boarding, but Florida couldn’t cash in on that opportunity.

The decisive moment came late in regulation. At 17:50, Alex Frye was sent off for tripping. Florida needed just 22 seconds to capitalize. Cole Moberg hammered home the game-winner on the power play at 18:12, with assists from Alex Kile and Colton Hargrove.

PENALTY (17:50): Alex Frye (ORL) – Tripping (Minor)
GOAL (18:12): Cole Moberg (FLA) – Power Play | Assisted by Alex Kile, Colton Hargrove

With time running out, Orlando pulled goaltender Ryan Fanti for an extra attacker. But Oliver Chau sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final second—his third goal in two nights.

GOAL (19:59): Oliver Chau (FLA) – Empty Net | Unassisted

Shots on Goal:
Florida – 15 | Orlando – 3

Penalties:

  • 11:30 – ORL: Anthony Bardaro – Boarding (Minor)
  • 17:50 – ORL: Alex Frye – Tripping (Minor)

Score: Florida 3 | Orlando 1

Final Stat Summary

Final Score: Florida 3, Orlando 1
Series Result: Florida wins series 4–1
Shots on Goal:

  • Florida – 37
  • Orlando – 15

Goaltending Summary

  • Cam Johnson (FLA): 14 saves on 15 shots | Win
  • Ryan Fanti (ORL): 34 saves on 36 shots | Loss

Final Shots on Goal:
Florida – 37 | Orlando – 15

Special Teams

  • Florida Power Play: 1-for-4
  • Orlando Power Play: 0-for-4
  • Penalty Minutes: Florida – 23 | Orlando – 14

Three Stars of the Game

1st Star: Cole Moberg (FLA) – Game-winning goal, 1 assist
2nd Star: Colton Hargrove (FLA) – 1 goal, 1 assist
3rd Star: Kade Landry (FLA) – +1, 5 shots, steady defensive play


What’s Next?

With the series win, the Florida Everblades now turn their attention to the Eastern Conference Final, where they’ll face either the Trois-Rivières Lions or Norfolk Admirals.

Today’s Game Trois-Rivières Lions vs Norfolk Admirals.
Puck Drops at 5:05 PM EDT
Norfolk Scope – Norfolk, Virginia

Florida will have home-ice advantage in the next round and continue their pursuit of another Kelly Cup championship.

South Division Finals – Game Recap Archive

Catch up on the full series coverage:


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Karen Zehner

Inside The Rink ECHL Manager | Senior Editor | Credentialed Beat Writer covering the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators. Diving into the world of slap shots, penalty kills, and the game we love. [@RunwithK] on socials.

One thought on “ECHL South Division Finals – Game 5 Recap: Florida Everblades vs Orlando Solar Bears”

Leave a Reply

Darby Llewellyn vs Cincinnati Cyclones on 03/15/2025

ECHL: Darby Llewellyn Joins Toledo Walleye for 2025–26

The Toledo Walleye have added a veteran presence to their forward group, signing 29-year-old winger Darby Llewellyn for the 2025–26 ECHL season. With nearly a decade of pro hockey across North America and Europe, Llewellyn brings versatility, grit, and scoring depth to a Toledo lineup aiming to remain among the league’s toughest outs. A Proven […]

Read More

ECHL: Logan Nijhoff Re-Signs with Trois-Rivières Lions

The Trois-Rivières Lions are bringing back a big piece in their lineup as they’ve re-signed forward Logan Nijhoff for the 2025-26 season. Nijhoff, 24, put up 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points in 58 games. Nijhoff was one of three players tied for the team lead in goals. He would add three goals […]

Read More

ECHL: Jordan Kaplan Returns To Worcester After Breakout Season

The Worcester Railers made a splash on Friday afternoon as they re-signed forward Jordan Kaplan for the 2025-26 season. Kaplan, 28, is coming off a career year where he put up 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 68 games. He also finished second on the team with 108 PIM. Kaplan has established […]

Read More