ORLANDO, FLA – Down 2-0 in its best-of-seven ECHL South division final series with the Florida Everblades, the Orlando Solar Bears were hoping that a return to the friendly confines of the Amway Center would bring a reversal of fortune. Despite the fact that the Everblades had found the City Beautiful to their liking during the regular season, the Solar Bears thought that they could regain their bite and begin to claw their way back into the series.
Orlando’s Joe Perry (26, white) puts a shot on Florida goalie Martin Ouellette as defenseman Derek Sheppard looks on (Photo courtesy of Fernando Medina / Orlando Solar Bears)
Much to their chagrin, however, the Solar Bears did not find any luck and now are at the edge of the cliff staring at a much earlier start to the off-season than they hoped.
Behind two goals from Michael Kirkpatrick and a goal and an assist each from Gus Young and John McCarron, Florida easily handled Orlando by a final of 5-1 in front of an announced crowd of 5,637. The victory gave the Everblades a commanding three games to none lead with a possible series-clinching game four set for Friday night in Orlando.
The win, Florida’s 17th straight dating back to the end of the regular season, was yet another display of the Brabham Cup champions’ arsenal as the Everblades had nine players register at least a point and goalie Martin Ouellette made 28 saves to run his post-season record to 6-0. The performance left the Solar Bears desperate for answers as to how they can solve their opponents and keep their season alive for a potential game five.
“I didn’t like the way we played obviously. We have to have a better compete,” Orlando head coach and general manager Drake Berehowsky said following the contest. “We didn’t compete hard enough tonight.”
Berehowsky was certainly hoping that his team would take advantage of the first home cooking they had in the second round after a pair of losses last weekend in Estero. The Solar Bears did seem a bit more feisty as captain Sean Zimmerman tangled with Florida’s Brett Bulmer 91 seconds into the game, earning each a trip to the penalty box for two minutes.
It was late in that four-on-four situation that the Everblades would show that they were hungry for another win on enemy ice. Spencer Smallman took control of the puck and began to work his way around a Solar Bears defender before getting hooked, creating a delayed penalty. Smallman shuttled the puck ahead where McCarron outhustled everyone and sped in alone on Orlando goalie Cal Heeter. As McCarron arced toward the front of the net, he lifted a backhander past Heeter’s blocker glove and in for his fourth goal of the post-season and a 1-0 lead just 3:21 into the opening frame.
A little over five minutes later, the visitors were at it again, turning an odd-man rush into an easy score. Joe Cox began the play by feeding the puck to Kirkpatrick who broke out with teammate Mitchell Heard on a two-on-one break. The pair traded passes before Heard drew Heeter to his side, leaving Kirkpatrick a wide open net to score into when the burly forward sent a final pass to the back side of the play. For Kirkpatrick, it was his fifth score of the playoffs.
Solar Bears forward Kyle Rankin (center) looks for space between Florida’s Martin Ouellette (51) and Keegan Kanzig (5)in front of the Everblades net (Photo courtesy of Fernando Medina / Orlando Solar Bears)
“We got fortunate early in the first period there,” Everblades head coach Brad Ralph said about his team’s quick start. “We scored a big goal [by McCarron] and then [we got] a couple of lucky bounces [and] we got another goal quickly.”
With two goals scored on seven shots against in the first 8:46, Berehowsky pulled Heeter in favor of backup netminder Mackenzie Skapski, who had yet to play in the playoffs. The Solar Bears responded with better play during the back half of the period but with Ouellette still showing his All-Star form, Orlando found itself trailing 2-0 after one.
“We got behind 2-0 and when you’re down 2-0 against a team like that, it’s tough to come back,” Berehowsky said when asked where the game turned away from his team.
Orlando did some soul searching between periods and came out in the second determined to get back into the game. Just 1:44 into the middle frame, Kyle Rankin got the puck to Jean Dupuy who was skating in space in the Florida end. Dupuy curled into the high slot and using Rankin as a screen, sent a wrist shot past Ouellette for his second score of the playoffs, cutting the margin to 2-1 and getting the fans back into the game.
As the Solar Bears continued to press for an equalizing tally, they made what proved to be a fatal mistake, getting caught with too many men on the ice in the offensive zone. Fifty-three seconds into the man advantage, Heard once again set up Kirkpatrick and the sniper did not miss. Heard’s pass from the slot to a wide-open Kirkpatrick ended with the puck zipping past a defenseless Skapski for the forward’s second of the game at the seven minute mark.
Meanwhile, Ouellette was sailing along once again. Martins Dzierkals did beat the netminder with a quick shot from the near side wing but it rang off the post, sending a sickening ping throughout the building.
With Ouellette – and Lady Luck – in their corner, the Everblades went for the kill. A penalty to Dupuy cost the Solar Bears at the 13:57 mark when McCarron made a slick pass to Young who slammed it in at the back side post for Florida’s second power play goal of the game and the winger’s first post-season tally. One minute and 33 seconds later, Smallman got loose below the goal line and threaded a pass to Bulmer in front. Bulmer had plenty of room and time to scoop the puck over Skapski who had gone down for his fourth of the playoffs and a commanding 5-1 lead.
“They [Orlando] changed their goalies and I thought the momentum shifted there for about 15-20 minutes [during] the second part of the first period and early part of the second period but our guys stayed with it,” Ralph said. “We were disciplined [and] our power play connected on a couple which I thought really tilted the scales tonight.”
Orlando’sKale Kerbashian (11, white) battle with Florida’s Justin Kea as Spencer Smallman looks on (Photo courtesy of Fernando Medina / Orlando Solar Bears)
With much of the excitement sucked out of the Amway Center by Florida’s three-goal second period, the third became a continued tale of frustration for Orlando. Despite starting the frame with a carried-over power play, the Solar Bears failed to generate much offense thanks in equal parts to the Everblades defense and their own inability to connect on passes. The home team, which was derailed by a couple of penalties, registered more than half of its ten shots in the final frame in the final 5:21 of the contest but none lit the lamp.
For Zimmerman, who along with Sam Jardine was a part of last season’s Kelly Cup championship team in Colorado, said the loss was frustrating. What irritated the veteran blueliner the most was the effort – or lack thereof – by the Solar Bears.
“It was embarrasing for me to be a part of it. I hope tomorrow [Friday] we come out with a little pride and take it one game at a time,” Zimmerman said. “I’m not too worried about a lot more than our work ethic and our compete level. There was none of it tonight and that’s worrisome at this time of the season. Tomorrow’s a new day and we have to focus on tomorrow.”
Facing a tough uphill battle, Berehowsky said that his team has the talent and will to get the job done – just as they showed in the first round against South Carolina – but that it has to come from within.
“We know it’s there. We saw it in the games against South Carolina,” he said. “The guys have to look at themselves in the mirror and they have to find it within themselves to play the right way. If we play the right way, we can hopefully claw ourselves out of this.”
Over in the other locker room, Ralph said that with a series sweep and a spot in the Eastern conference finals one win away, he expects the Everblades to be ready to work Friday night because just as it is in the wild, a wounded animal is very dangerous to take on.
“We’re going to enjoy this win but we’re going to stay humble. We’ve been taking it one game at a time. I know its a cliche but that’s really been our mindset,” he said. “We’ll refocus here tomorrow and come back with our best effort.”
Notes: Florida outshot Orlando in the game 30-29, the closest margin of the series thus far… The Everblades went 2-for-5 on the power play while the Solar Bears finished 0-for-3… Skapski, who last saw game action on April 6th, made 20 saves in relief of Heeter who ended his night with five stops… The win pushed Florida’s record to 8-2 at the Amway Center between the regular season and the playoffs… Orlando’s Joe Perry finished the game with eight shots on net, breaking the previous post-season mark of seven that he co-owned with Wade MacLeod, Mason Marchment and teammate Hunter Fejes… Heading into Friday’s potential elimination game, the Solar Bears hold a 2-3 mark in such contests… If a game five is needed, it will be played Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the Amway Center.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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