ESTERO, Fla. – A sold out crowd of 7,358 fans came to Hertz Arena to see the Florida Everblades clinch a spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs and earn an opportunity to defend the team’s back-to-back Kelly Cup championships.
The fans got exactly what they wanted to see.
With a 2-1 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays in the penultimate game of the regular season on Friday night, the Everblades won for the fifth straight game, locked up a postseason berth, and have a chance to continue down the path that Southwest Florida hockey fans hope leads to a third-straight Kelly Cup.
Jesse Lansdell snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period and Cam Johnson stopped 24 of 25 shots to secure his ECHL-leading 27th win of the season in goal for the Everblades.
The long-time South Division rivals battled to a scoreless first period, with the Everblades doubling up their Stingrays in the shot department by a 10-5 margin.
Both sides would find their offense in the second period. The Everblades broke through first, taking a 1-0 lead at 8:34 of the middle frame on a power-play goal by Sean Josling, who one-timed a pass from Josh Ho-Sang into the South Carolina net for his 21st goal of the season. Will Reilly added a secondary assist. South Carolina’s Kyler Kupka responded at 11:36, tying the score at 1-1, a score that would hold into the second intermission.
In the decisive third period, Lansdell regained the lead for the Everblades at the 3:43 mark, potting his second goal in as many games. Just seconds after Florida killed off a South Carolina power play, Lansdell slipped behind the Stingrays’ defense, stole a clear by goaltender Mitchell Gibson, buried the puck and put the Blades ahead for good, 2-1.
Florida outshot South Carolina 27-25.
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