ESTERO, Fla. – The Florida Everblades opened their Kelly Cup Playoffs run in dominant fashion, shutting out the Savannah Ghost Pirates 2–0 in Game 1 of the opening round at Hertz Arena in front of 5,061 fans.
The Everblades were first on the scoreboard for the night. A quick hustle from Tarun Fizer forced a breakaway goal in the offensive zone. This stemmed from Connor Doherty, who rimmed the puck off the boards. Despite Savannah outhshooting Florida, 13 to 11, the Ghost Pirates were unable to produce grade A chances. Defense played a huge role for the Blades, along with Cam Johnson, who made some key saves.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net in the second period, although there were quality scoring chances on both ends. Savannah continued to outshoot Florida by four, but the Blades still carried a 1–0 lead into the third period.
For the first time all night, Florida began to outshoot Savannah, ten to four in the third. Ultimately, the chances created the chance for Oliver Cooper to find the back of the net, with assists from Reid Duke and Jett Jones. Cam Johnson continued to come up big between the pipes, adding to his strong shutout performance.
The Florida Everblades will aim to tighten their grip on the series as they continue their first-round matchup against the Savannah Ghost Pirates in Game 2 of the Kelly Cup Playoffs tomorrow at Hertz Arena.
BLADES BITS
– Johnson’s shutout was his 14th in his playoff career, extending his all-time ECHL lead.
– This was Savannah’s first playoff game in team history.
