GLENS FALLS, NY – Gus Young scored the game-winning goal 1:14 into the overtime period to propel the Florida Everblades (30-8-1-3, 64 points) to a 4-3 overtime win over the Adirondack Thunder (24-17-2-2, 50 points) Saturday night at the Cool Insuring Arena.
James Henry gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead midway through the first period as Adirondack converted just seconds into a power play opportunity. From the right wing circle Mathieu Brodeur sent a pass towards the front of the net to the stick of Henry, who re-directed the puck past Everblades goaltender Martin Ouellette.
In the second period, Steven Lorentz tied the game for the Everblades, making the score 1-1 midway through the middle frame. Joe Cox fought off a check and moved behind the Adirondack net. Cox attempted a wrap around shot but ended up sending the puck to a waiting Lorentz who quickly banged his point blank chance into the net.
Justin Kea gave the Everblades their first lead of the night less than two minutes later. Kea made a nice move to muscle his way towards the front of the net. Kea lifted his backhand shot into the top corner of the net, beating the glove of Adirondack goaltender Drew Fielding.
On the power play, John McCarron doubled the Everblades lead to 3-1 midway through the second period. Following an offensive zone faceoff, Lorentz fired a shot from up high that was initially saved by Fielding. McCarron jammed the puck loose and shove it across the line for a goal.
Just 25-seconds into the third period, Adirondack refused to go away as Brian Ward made it a one goal game. Still on the power play following a major penalty to Matt Mackenzie at the end of the second period, Ward received a pass in the slot before rifling the puck through traffic and past a screened Ouellette.
Adirondack continued to use the power play to its advantage. Mathieu Brodeur tied the game at 3-3 just over three minutes later on a 5-on-3 opportunity. Andrew Radjenovic faked a shot before ripping a pass towards the slot. Brodeur blasted on a one-timer and the puck through the five-hole and into the back of the net.
Despite seeing the momentum turn against them as well as being down five-on-three late in the third period, the Everblades would hold firm. Keeping Adirondack off the scoreboard for the remainder of the period, Florida would force the game to head to overtime.
In overtime, it would be the Everblades that would strike and earn the victory following an absolute rocket of a shot from Young. On the power play, the Everblades moved quickly into the offensive zone. Quentin Shore sent a pass to the point and set Young up perfectly as he blasted his shot high into the net to the seal the 4-3 Florida win.
Ouellette came up big on more than a few occasions and earns the win in goal for the Everblades after stopping 15 of the 18 shots he faced. Fielding also played well but does suffer the overtime loss after allowing four shots on 26 shots.
Concluding their road trip Sunday afternoont, the Florida Everblades will head to the DCU Center to take on the Worcester Railers for the first time in franchise history. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Eastern Time.
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