ESTERO, FLA – The distance between Orlando and Estero is around 200 miles give or take and depending what route is taken to get there. For the Orlando Solar Bears, the distance was well worth the trip Friday night.
Patrick Watling continued his inspired play, scoring a short-handed goal and adding two assists while goalie Max Clermont made 32 saves in a huge effort as the Solar Bears soundly defeated the Florida Everblades 5-2 at the Germain Arena. The win ended a four-game losing streak for Orlando while allowing the team to gain some ground in the battle for playoff spots in the ECHL’s East division.
The victory was a breath of fresh air for Orlando head coach Vince Williams who had been critical of his team’s effort in the previous four games at the Amway Center. From the opening faceoff to the final buzzer, it seemed as if the Solar Bears (25-20-3-0, 53 points) were a totally different squad.
In a sense the Solar Bears’ roster was different. Since Wednesday’s loss to South Carolina, several changes had been made to try to improve the team’s play. Defenseman Mike Keenan and forward Alexandre Carrier (who did not dress) arrived on loan from the Albany Devils and forward Peter Sivak, acquired by the Toronto Marlies in a trade with Bridgeport for Carson McMillan, was sent down by the Marlies. In addition, Jake Cepis returned to the lineup after an upper body injury.
Showing the form that had earned him a 4-0 mark in Albany, Clermont came out ready to prove that his first start against Fort Wayne was just a hiccup. Facing eleven shots in the opening period, Clermont made several key saves including a blocker stop of an Adam Bruce shot and a sequence of three rapid fire attempts during some extended pressure by the Everblades (31-11-2-4, 68 points).
Orlando opened the scoring with less than a minute to go in the first. Some pressure by Denver Manderson allowed the big forward to steal the puck in the Florida end. He fed Watlling who in turn set up Johnny McInnis for a one-timer that beat Everblades netminder Andy Iles. It was the tenth goal of the season for the former Florida sniper, his second as a member of the Solar Bears.
The Solar Bears tempted fate for much of the second period, taking no less than four penalties that gave the Everblades’ power play – one of the best in the ECHL – multiple chances. While on one of those penalty kills, Watling disrupted things by making a steal and being fed for a clean breakaway. A couple of moves allowed Watling to beat Iles for his fifth goal of the season.
The visitors increased their lead to three at the 16:35 mark of the middle frame when Brock Montgomery set up Brady Vail for a laser that snuck under the crossbar and into the back of the net for his seventh tally of the year. Florida finally solved Clermont when captain Jordan Henry went end-to-end with the puck and beat the Orlando goalie between the legs for his first of the year and trimming the margin to 3-1 heading into the third.
Orlando broke the game wide open with two scores in the first eight minutes of he final stanza. At the 2:17 mark, Vail sent Watling and Manderson away on an odd-man rush into the Florida end. Watling drew Iles and the defender to his side before laying a perfect pass to Manderson who ripped a shot home for his twelfth of the season. Six minutes later,an Everblades offensive zone turnover became a three man break for the Solar Bears. Cepis ended up with the puck and promptly beat Iles (22 saves) for his eleventh and more importantly a 5-1 lead.
The Solar Bears defense gave Clermont plenty of support over the final minutes, keeping most of the shots to the outside and not allowing the Everblades to get to rebounds. Matt Marquardt did net his sixth of the season with less than two minutes left but it was too little, too late for the home team to make a comeback.
The two teams will meet again Saturday night in Estero with puck drop set for 7 pm.
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