Florida splits series with Checkers

 

ESTERO, Fla – The Everblades split a pair of games against the Charlotte Checkers at the Time Warner Arena this week.    Florida defeated Charlotte, 4-3 in a shoot out on Thursday, February 4. The first period of the series ended in a scoreless tie with both teams playing a fairly even game.   There were only a pair of penalties incurred; one for each team. Charlotte opened the scoring at 7:48 of the second, on the power play.   A few minutes later at 10:17, Charlotte scored again, extending their lead to 2-0.   The Blades missed a golden opportunity on the breakaway.   Ross Carlson scored on their power play opportunity at 13:51, closing in on Charlotte and ending the period with the Checkers leading 2-1.

Ross Carlson%2C Florida

Florida pulled into a tie early in the third, with a goal by Milan Gajic at 2:40.   Charlotte pushed ahead once again at 17:53.   Less than a minute later, Florida pulled even once again, forcing the game into overtime. A lack of scoring in the overtime period, meant a shoot out was imminent.   It took eight rounds before the Blades ended the game with the final goal scored by Colin Nicholson.   Florida wins in the shoot out by a score of 4-3. Florida ’s Chris Beckford-Tseu had 36 saves, while Ryan Munce took the loss with 28. On Friday, February 5, Charlotte took the win over Florida in a 3-2 game. Once again the first period was scoreless at the break.   The Checkers were relentless in their attack on Florida this period, outshooting them 16-1.   Charlotte had four power-play opportunities and failed to convert on any of them.   Chris Beckford-Tseu kept the Everblades in the game displaying outstanding goal tending.Once again Charlotte opened the scoring, this time in the second at 3:31.   Florida came back to tie the game at 4:25, with a goal by Ernie Hartlieb.   Less than a minute later at, Kevin Baker set up Ryan Lang for the goal.   Florida took their first lead of the game.   The score tied again, as Charlotte scored later in the period at 13:42.   At the end of two, the score was tied at 2-2. The lone third period goal was scored by the Checkers.   This tally by Mike Taylor with about twelve minutes left in the game was controversial to say the least.   The referee waved off the goal, then after review with the linesman and goal judge in conference, reversed his decision and it was deemed a good goal.   Charlotte came out the victor with a final score of 3-2. Charlotte’s Munce was in the net, and posted 18 saves for the win.   Beckford-Tseu had 36 saves. In other related team news, former Florida Everblade, Anton Khudobin, played two games this week as a Minnesota Wild in the NHL.   He earned two wins in his first two games.   The first game, Khudobin came into the game to relieve the injured starter.   He played 9:33 game minutes, stopped 9 shots-on-goal   and earned his first NHL win.   Khudobin was the 2009 Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the year.   Until his call up, had spent most of this season at the Minnesota Wild AHL affiliate in Houston. Florida will take on the Gwinnett Gladiators on Tuesday at home. Contact the writer at: Sharon.weatherhead@prohockeynews.com Contact the Photographer at: Rob.Huelsman@prohockeynews.com