GLENS FALLS, NY – Martin Ouellette made 31 saves to help lead the Florida Everblades to a 3-2 victory over the Adirondack Thunder in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals Saturday evening at the Cool Insuring Arena. The Everblades win the series 4-1 and will advance to the Kelly Cup Finals for the first time since 2012. The win also secured the fourth conference championship in club history (2003, 2004, 2012, 2018).
The Everblades stormed out of the gates to jump on the Thunder early. Matt Mackenzie struck first at 2:46 into the game when he carried the puck down the slot toward the crease. However, the puck slightly tailed away from the Florida bluliner, but Mackenzie caught up with the puck to the right of the crease and hurled a shot past goaltender Drew Fielding on the shortside for the first goal of the game.
Five minutes later, the Everblades made it 2-0, when Gus Young found a wide-open Michael Kirkpatrick in front of the net. Kirkpatrick caught the puck on his forehand, spun and delivered the puck into the net for this 10th goal of the playoffs.
The Everblades added another tally on the power play at the 14-minute m. ark of the period. Mitchell Heard skated from the right wing circle and carved a backhand shot high into the net to extend the Florida lead to 3-0 after the first period of play.
In the second, the Everblades held the Thunder in check, while goaltender Ouellette turned aside all 12 shots faced to keep the score at 3-0 after 40 minutes of action.
However, the dream start quickly started to fade away early in the third, when Ryan Schmelzer delivered a dazzling no-look pass across the slot to Mike Szmatula on the left wing. Szmatula tucked the puck past Ouellette to get the Thunder on the board at 2:39 of the period.
The goal was exactly the spark Adirondack needed, as the Thunder added a second marker on the power play ten minutes later. Colton White hammered a slapshot from the point that slipped through traffic and beat a screened Ouellette to pull the Thunder within one at 3-2.
For the final eight minutes of regulation, the Everblades and Ouellette held off a relentless assault by the Thunder. Adirondack outshot the Everblades 13-4 in the final stanza of regulation, but the Everblades kept them off the board and sealed the series with a 3-2 win.
Ouellette was once again stellar making 31 saves, while Fielding takes the loss allowing three goals on 21 shots faced.
Following the game, the Everblades were presented the E.A. “Bud” Gingher Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the ECHL’s Eastern Conference Champion. Assistant Captains Clark Seymour, Stephen MacAulay and Zack Kamrass accepted the award from ECHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Ernst.
The Everblades advance to the Kelly Cup Finals for the first time since 2012, and will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals featuring the Fort Wayne Komets and Colorado Eagles. The complete Kelly Cup Finals schedule and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
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