On Marvel Super Hero™ Night, the Florida Everblades fended off a valiant comeback from Jacksonville to capture the win, 6-3, at Veterans Memorial Arena.
The Icemen picked up right where they left off on Tuesday as Alexandre Goulet beat Blades goaltender Callum Booth 2:45 into the opening frame to take the 1-0 lead. Emerson Clark collected the lone assist, setting a new franchise record for consecutive games with at least one point at eight games. Goulet's goal gives him at least one point in every home game played this season. In the final minute of the period, Michael Heard put one past Jamie Phillips to tie the game. Both teams skated off the ice deadlocked at 1-1.
Nearly halfway through the second period, Florida would go on the power play for two minutes. At 8:20 in the period, defenseman Josiah Didier received an excellent pass right in front of the net from Michael Kirkpatrick to put the visitors up for the first time in the contest. With under three minutes remaining in the second, forward Justin Kea added to the Blades lead on the unassisted goal to make the game 3-1. Both teams ended the period with a man in the penalty box.
As the Blades penalty expired in the beginning of the third period, Michael Kirkpatrick put his wrist shot top shelf and by Phillips, giving the visitors a 4-1 lead with the power play goal. Minutes later, Cameron Critchlow's shot hit the right post and in to cut the deficit to two. After another successful penalty kill, the Icemen regained momentum as Jan Kostalek scored from the slot via a perfect center feed from Jimmy Lodge to make the game 4-3.
The comeback would hit the brakes when John McCarron skated in, made a nice deke and beat Phillips short side to put the Blades up two again. Nolan LaPorte scored an empty net goal with 18 seconds left to put the game to rest.
Both teams head down to Estero for the second game of the back-to-back tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. Make sure to get your tickets when the Icemen return to Veterans Memorial Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. when the Solar Bears come to town.
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