ESTERO, Fla – Florida Everblades, new Kelly Cup Champions. That’s what everybody will be saying all summer long, until the ECHL comes back to do it all again next season.
By defeating the challenging Las Vegas Wranglers in Game Five of the ECHL Finals, the Everblades earned the right to call the Kelly Cup theirs.
The series clinching victory, Wednesday evening in Florida, did not come easy to the eventual champions, giving up a commanding 2-0 lead and allowing 43 shots against. It was their time, however, as Florida came out with the overtime victory and their first Kelly Cup in their 14-season history.
Florida started the game out well, scoring first at 12:07 of the opening frame. The goal, from Justin Shugg, from Matt Beca and Ryan Donald, snuck through Wranglers goalie Joe Fallon through a crush of bodies in the Wranglers net. This goal was the product of determined rushes by the home squad on Fallon.
Florida would strike again, bolstering their chances of closing out the series when Mike Ratchuk, from Trevor Bruess and Matt Marquardt, snuck the rubber again past a screened Fallon. The goal, at 18:46 of the first period, seemed to nearly put the game out of reach for the Wranglers.
At 16:33 of the first period, after a rough session between both clubs behind the Florida net, Wrangler Robbie Smith and Everblade Sebastian Piche dropped the gloves and had a very spirited bout. Considering that the fisticuffs occurred at the end of their shifts, it was quite a fight, with neither clearly deserving the victory.
The Florida confidence in a quick and easy victory was not to be realized however, when Wrangler Ash Goldie threw the puck past an unsuspecting Florida goalie John Muse. With help from Jeff May and Adam Miller, the first Wranglers goal was the product of a determined Vegas offense throwing puck after puck at Muse.
Las Vegas would eventually get the tying goal by Peter MacArthur, from Las Vegas native Chris Francis, at just 47 ticks into the final period. This goal would prove to be the final tally of the Wranglers season as the final frame remained scoreless, sending the game into the ever tense overtime period.
It only took Florida 4:54 into the first overtime period to clinch the game and the series, when Everblade Brandon MacLean, from Ryan Donald and Matt Beca, used an odd man rush on Fallon to jam the puck into the back of the net.
Florida net minder Muse, a brick wall as always, earned himself the #1 star of the game and the ECHL Playoffs MVP trophy. If anybody in attendance was in doubt as to the effectiveness of Muse and his abilities, all they had to do was look at the shot totals for just this final game. Las Vegas managed to outshoot Florida a total of 43-29 throughout the three periods, including 11-5 in the third period.
Considering the frequency at which game referee Nick Krebsbach decided to call infractions during Game Two of the series, each side only enjoyed four man advantages, with none being converted.
With the win, Florida goes off into the summer knowing that they were the best of the 23 ECHL teams from the 2011-2012 season. Las Vegas goes into the summer knowing that they were so close to raising the Kelly Cup but yet so far. It’s almost guaranteed that Florida enjoys their time as champions and comes back hard to defend their title, while Las Vegas works over the summer to go from second to first.
Is October here yet?
Contact Joel.Hoopaugh@prohockeynews.com
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