ESTERO, FLA – In the vast list of statistics compiled by the ECHL on a daily basis, the Orlando Solar Bears have held their own against the Florida Everblades during the 2021-22 season. As the teams hit the two-thirds mark in their 15-game season series, there was no reason to think that Orlando couldn’t come up with a win or at least take the contest to the final minutes with a chance to at least pick up a point in overtime or a shootout.
Then came Wednesday night at Hertz Arena in Estero where the Everblades were more than ready to send a mid-season message.
Behind Michael Neville’s two goals and multi-point nights from four others, Florida (27-15-4-4) put a 6-0 beating on the visiting Solar Bears (25-20-3-0) in front of an announced crowd of 4,396. Goalie Parker Gahagen stopped all 26 Orlando shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. It was also the second time that the Everblades blanked Orlando, the first coming on December 26th by a final of 5-0.
Orlando netminder Brad Barone set a franchise record by starting his 13th consecutive game but that was the lone positive on the night. Barone opened the game but did not finish it, making 17 saves on 21 shots faced before being replaced by Bailey Brkin after Florida’s fourth goal 6:24 into the second period. Brkin made 14 stops on 16 shots over the final 33:36 of game play in his first appearance for the Solar Bears.
The only scoring the host Everblades needed came in the first period. Five minutes in, Blake Winiecki and John McCarron went digging along the end boards against two defenders. Winiecki poked the puck free to McCarron who went behind the net, came out the other side and threaded a pass to Jake Jaremko in the nearside faceoff circle on the slot side. Jaremko one-timed the feed past Barone’s glove hand for his 11th goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
Then with just over five minutes left in the frame, Neville began his multi-goal night. Dylan Vander Esch retreived the puck in the corner and sent a pass toward the slot. It was deflected to Joe Pendenza who fired on net with Barone making a save. The rebound kicked over to Neville who buried it in the wide open side of the net for his second of the year.
Three minutes and fifty seconds into the second, Neville was back at it. Off an offensive zone faceoff win by Pendenza, Jordan Sambrook found a wide open shooting lane. His drive was redirected by Neville into the back of the cage for his second of the night and third of the year.
Less than three minutes later, Barone saw his night come to an end. Kody McDonald skated the puck into the Orlando end and took it to the end boards. He looked to the front where Kyle Neuber was steaming unimpeded down the slot. McDonald put a feed out there and Neuber slammed it home from the top of the blue paint for his fifth tally of the year and a commanding 4-0 Everblades lead.
Florida wasn’t quite done in the middle frame yet. At the 12:02 mark, McDonald added to the scoresheet when he put a knuckling shot on net. It beat Brkin up high for McDonald’s fourth of the season and a five goal cushion heading to the final period.
All that was left to be decided in the final twenty minutes was the final score. Despite their best efforts, the Solar Bears could not find a way to put anything past Gahagen. He had his busiest frame of the night in the third, stopping all 14 Orlando shots (more than the first two periods combined) to keep his night’s sheet clean.
The Everblades finished off the scoring with less than two minutes to go in regulation. After Brkin made a save, Jaremko went hard after the rebound as it headed toward the end boards. He was able to flip the puck into the crease where Brkin got a piece of it , sending it up off the ice. Vander Esch was standing at the top of the blue paint and batted it in for his 10th score of the season to close out a very successful evening for the home team.
Orlando will have a couple of days off before returning to the ice at the Amway Center on Sunday for a 3 p.m. matinee with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Notes: Neither team was called for a penalty in the contest, the third such time the Orlando franchise has played in a penalty-less game… The Solar Bears have gone 129:33 since scoring a goal in either regulation or overtime, dating back to last Friday when Fabrizio Ricci scored with 2:33 remaining in Friday’s game against Indy. They are 1-2 in the three contests, collecting the win on Saturday with two scores in the shoouout against the Fuel… Earlier on Wednesday, the team announced the signing of NHL veteran forward Sean Avery, who is returning from retirement. Avery, 41, will start on the reserve list until he and the team feel he is ready to play. He last played in professional hockey during the 2011-12 season for both the NHL’s New York Rangers and the AHL’s Connecticut Whale.
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