Big second period lifts Everblades over Stingrays

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — The forward line of Joe Cox, Kyle Platzer and Michael Neville combined for six points and John McCarron added two goals to give the Florida Everblades a 5-3 win over the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday night at North Charleston Coliseum.

On the heels of consecutive losses, Florida (36-13-5-0, 77 points) scored three times in the second period and never relinquished that lead to top South Carolina (25-23-5-0, 55 points) in the opener of the two-game series.

Cox helped propel Florida ahead with his team-leading 25th goal of the year less than halfway through the first. After picking up a loose puck in the left circle, Cox fed it behind the net for Platzer, who immediately returned it to Cox in front of the net. Cox promptly ripped a shot past South Carolina goaltender Parker Milner to give Florida a 1-0 lead at the 8:40 mark of the first.

South Carolina responded to tie the game off a two-on-one rush. Andrew Cherniwchan carried the puck down the left wing across the Everblades line and then fired a shot above the blocker of Florida goaltender Jeremy Helvig with 6:48 to play in the first.

But Florida came up with a big response in period two, scoring three of the four goals in the middle frame to take a 4-2 lead. Nathan Perkovich found the back of the net just 12 seconds into the second period — Florida’s fastest goal to start a period this season — to set the tone. On a strange carom off the corner boards, Perkovich gathered the puck at the far post and stuffed it past Milner to make it 2-1.

Michael Neville and John McCarron then scored less than two and a half minutes apart to make it a 4-1 advantage for Florida. Platzer notched his second assist of the night with an incredible pass from the right wing that found Neville crashing through the low slot. Neville deflected the feed in one motion into the net at 8:30 of the second.

Then, at the 10:50 mark of the second period, McCarron redirected Michael Downing’s shot from the high slot to extend the Everblades’ lead to three.

South Carolina pulled back within two on a goal from Jonathan Charbonneau in the last 69 seconds of the second period. With the puck loose behind the ‘Blades goal, Charbonneau banked it off Downing and past Helvig.

The Stingrays closed their deficit to just one in the final five minutes of regulation on a power-play goal from Jordan Samuels-Thomas.

Florida was then assessed a delay of game penalty with one minute, 45 seconds remaining in regulation, but McCarron scored an empty-net goal with Milner lifted for an extra attacker to seal the victory.

Helvig finished with 26 saves to earn his 18th win of his rookie season.

The Everblades now eye a series sweep of the Stingrays. Faceoff for the series finale against South Carolina is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.