ESTERO, Fla. – Round two of the Kelly Cup Playoffs got underway Friday night at Hertz Arena as the Florida Everblades dominated a 3-0 win over the South Carolina Stingrays in Game 1 of the South Division Finals, with 5,208 fans in attendance.
After a faceoff win by Hudson Elynuik, Anthony Romano found the puck and buried the opening goal of the game. Romano, who recorded 26 goals during the regular season, has now tallied his second goal of the postseason. Florida controlled much of the opening period and kept momentum firmly on its side, outshooting South Carolina 16-7.
The middle frame brought a physical battle between both sides, but the Everblades continued to control the pace of play. Elynuik extended Florida’s lead after redirecting a shot from Reid Duke and Cole Moberg for his first goal of the postseason. The tally also gave Elynuik his second point of the night, marking a multi-point performance. Florida remained strong on both ends of the ice throughout the period, continuing to outshoot South Carolina offensively while limiting quality scoring chances defensively.
The Blades added an insurance marker late as Romano buried a rebound opportunity created by Jordan Sambrook and added to his postseason record. The sequence developed from Logan Lambdin along the corner boards. Cam Johnson turned aside every shot he faced to record a 22-save shutout, helping lift Florida to a 3-0 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays.
The Florida Everblades will look to kick off a stretch of wins against the South Carolina Stingrays as they continue their series in Game 2 of the Kelly Cup Playoffs tomorrow at Hertz Arena, puck drop at 7 p.m.
BLADES BITS
– Johnson’s shutout was his second of the postseason, with both coming in Game 1 of their respective series.
– Lambdin and Sean Allen both played their first playoff games this season tonight, with Lambdin getting an assist and Allen dropping the gloves with Justin Nachbaur.
