ESTERO, FL – The Florida Everblades continued their winning streak and extended it to six games with a pair of wins this past weekend against the Augusta Lynx. Florida is now 8-2-1 (17 points), good for first in the South Division of the ECHL. Everblades goalie Anton Khudobin had his first shut out of the season on Saturday against the Gwinnett Gladiators. Not to be out done, the other half of Florida’s goaltending tandem, David Leggio, started the series with Augusta and posted his first shut out of his professional career. Although David Leggio played a terrific game in Florida’s 1-0 shootout win on Friday, the star of the game was Lynx goalie Mike Brodeur who 46 Everblades shots. Leggio stopped all 12 on Augusta. Brodeur actually has some hockey royalty running through his blood. He is related to future NHL Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils (a third cousin). As we all know, hockey greatness is hereditary and is a dominant gene. Some prominent family examples are the brothers Staal, Sutter, Neidermeyer, Hull, and Thornton. Brodeur practically stood on his head as he stopped everything and anything the Blades threw at him. Brodeur frustrated and disappointed the Blades making save after impossible save. Frustration showed on the ice as Florida hit posts and crossbars, not to mention opposing players, but no puck made it’s way into Augusta’s net during regulation play. It was a game completely dominated by the Blades. Leggio stopped a number of quality shots, but only faced 12 in regulation as well as all five shows during the shootout. After 65 minutes of scoreless hockey, Florida’s Danick Bouchard, the first skater in the shootout, slide one past Brodeur for the only goal of the game. Three Stars of the Game: (1) David Leggio ( FLA), (2) Mike Brodeur (AUG), (3) Danick Bouchard ( FLA). Saturday’s win was the Blades sixth consecutive victory. Brodeur followed up Friday night’s performance by stopping 43 of Florida’s 48 shots on goal. The Blades off to a good start with two first period goals by Ross Carlson. Anton Khudobin continued Florida’s excellent work in net by extended Florida’s scoreless streak to almost 89 minutes before Chris Lawrence ended it at 3:56 of the second period to close the gap to 2-1. The Blades regained their two-goal lead in the second period when the Blades got a goal by Aaron Brocklehurst on the power play with an assists by Mark Lee and Kevin Baker. After the Lynx cut the lead to 3-2 38 seconds into the third period, Augusta put the pressure back on Florida by forcing the Everblades to kill off five power play attempts. The Blades turned the pressure back and scored two short handed goals: Once by Ross Carlson, the other an empty-netter by Ernie Hartleib. Carlson’s goal was his third of the evening for his first career hat trick. The Blades finished the evening out shooting the Lynx 48-29. Florida will go on a nine-game road trip that will have them away from Florida for seventeen days. The Blades definitely look as though they are buying into Coach Cameron’s style. NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS: Augusta Assistant Coach Dane Litke played with the Everblades from 1998-00. He played in 139 games as a defenseman. Former Blades goalie Tyler Plante, who is playing for the Rochester Americans (AHL) and the Dayton Bombers (ECHL), was called up to the Florida Panthers (NHL) to temporarily back up goaltender Craig Anderson. Khudobin was the ECHL Goalie of the Week with a 2-0-0 records, and a 0.50 goals against average AA for the week of 11/3–11/9. Jonathon Paiement (D) was recently promoted to the Albany River Rats (AHL). Contact the author at: sharon.weatherhead@prohockeynews.com
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