ESTERO, FLA – When the Orlando Solar Bears stepped off their bus at Hertz Arena in Estero Saturday afternoon, they collectively had to be happy that it would be the last time this regular season that they would face the Florida Everblades in southwest Florida. Although many of the previous seven meetings had been close affairs, the Solar Bears had mustered just one win at Hertz. With six minutes remaining in regulation, Orlando had a lead and could smell a win.
Unfortunately, sealing the deal was not in the cards for the squad from Central Florida.
Captain John McCarron scored a power play goal to tie things up before Michael Huntebrinker and Myles Powell connected in the shootout as Florida (24-8-0-2) came away with a 3-2 win over Orlando (17-10-3-1) in front of a COVID-restricted crowd of 3,552. The Everblades also got a power play tally from Huntebrinker during regulation while their penalty killers fended off three man advantage chanced for the Solar Bears, two of them coming midway through the final period of regular time. Netminder Jake Hildebrand was spectacular between the pipes for the home team, turning away 38 of 40 Orlando shots through 67 minutes of play and two more in the shootout.
The loss spoiled a big night for Orlando forward Aaron Luchuk, who netted a pair of goals in defeat. Goalie Clint Windsor also put in another solid effort, stopping 33 of 35 Everblades shots through regulation and seven minutes of overtime.
After a scoreless opening round of the skills competition, Huntebrinker zoomed in on Windsor, faked to his forehand and then slipped the puck under the goalie’s left leg. Following a second save by Hildebrand, Powell secured the extra point when he weaved his way in, made a head fake and tucked a backhander past Windsor’s stick side for the winner.
Riding a five game winning streak – which included three victories on home ice over Florida last weekend – the Solar Bears opened the scoring during a stretch of four-on-four play in the first period. Defenseman Mark Auk jumped into the rush, whacking a low, hard shot that barely missed the net, The puck caromed off the boards back out front where Luchuk beat a defender and buried it behind Hildebrand for his ninth goal of the season.
Not to be outdone, the Everblades went on the power play two minutes later and cashed in. Orlando failed to clear the puck from its end when Colby Sissons picked off the puck at the top of the faceoff circle. He quickly put a diagonal pass down low to McCarron who fired it to the top of the crease where Huntebrinker directed it past Windsor for his 17th tally of the year.
Luchuk put his team back in front 3:22 into the middle frame. Tristin Langan won an offensive zone faceoff, putting the puck in a spot where Jake Coughler could get to it before any Florida defenders could. Coughler threaded a pass to the low slot where Luchuk steered it past Hildebrand’s stick side for his second of the game and 10th of the season.
Hildebrand stood tall from that point on, keeping Orlando off the score sheet. He did get some help when Luchuk clanged a shot off the crossbar but it was all him when later he stoned Nolan Valleau on a clean breakaway to keep the Everblades within one at 2-1 heading to the third.
After killing off a penalty to Auk early in the final period of regulation, the Solar Bears had back-to-back opportunities of their own midway through the stanza. Hildebrand turned away three Orlando shots during the first infraction and another one during the second power play to maintain the one-goal deficit.
With 5:10 left in regulation, Orlando’s Matthew Spencer took an unfortunate delay of game penalty. It took the Everblades only eleven seconds to net the equalizer. It came when Joe Pendenza fed the puck out high to Powell. Powell found a shooting lane and fired away, putting it in the right spot for McCarron to tip it high over Windsor’s right shoulder for his 16th of the season. Neither team could find the back of the net the rest of the way, sending the contest into overtime.
In the extra period, Hildebrand came up with a huge save on Solar Bears captain Chris LeBlanc. He also had to be sharp in the final 20 seconds as Langan fired off a tester and Tyler Bird had two bang-bang chances in the last five seconds. Hildebrand made six saves in the extra frame while at the other end, Windsor stopped four to take the game to the shootout where the host Everblades claimed the extra point.
The two teams will faceoff again this coming Tuesday (March 16th) back at the Amway Center in Orlando.
Notes: Orlando finished the game 0-for-3 on the power play while Florida went 2-for-5… The two man advantage scores by the Everblades snapped a 12-game steak of penalty killing by the Solar Bears. Between February 13th and March 9th, Orlando killed of 42 straight power plays by its opposition… With his assist on Luchuk’s second goal, Langan extended his point streak to four games (4 goals, 4 assists)… Orlando’s record through 17 games against Florida is now 6-8-2-1. The Solar Bears went 1-5-1-1 on the road in Hertz Arena… Orlando and Florida still have 10 more meetings to go. By the time the regular season is done, the Solar Bears will have hosted the Everblades 19 times in the City Beautiful. Thus far, Orlando has a 5-3-1-0 mark at home against its in-state rival.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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