Admirals skate to 5-1 win over Everblades

ESTERO, Fla. — Jakob Reichert and Alex Rodriguez both posted two goals to lead the Norfolk Admirals to a 5-1 win over the Florida Everblades on Saturday at Hertz Arena, snapping Florida’s home point streak at 10 games.   BOX SCORE Jake Theut stole the show with a 36-save performance to earn his first ECHL win, as the Admirals (13-33-6-0, 32 pts.) handed the Everblades (37-13-3-2, 79 pts.) their first regulation loss at home since Jan. 7. The Admirals grabbed the lead with a pair of goals in the first 61 seconds of the game. Freddy Gerard found Reichert alone in the slot, and Reichert beat Everblades goaltender Cam Johnson (26 saves) through the five-hole only 20 seconds into the first. Rodriguez scored on a rebound only 41 seconds later to propel Norfolk ahead by two tallies. The ‘Blades answered back one minute, 28 seconds later on Joe Pendenza’s second goal in as many nights, a nearly identical tally to his goal on Friday. A pass from Pendenza to Zach Magwood helped the ‘Blades gain the zone along the right-wing boards, and Magwood snapped a shot off the pad of Theut. The rebound found Pendenza in the slot waiting, and he put back the rebound to make it a 2-1 game. The Admirals cashed in on the second half of a double-minor, high-sticking call to Adam Smith at 3:49 of the second period to regain their two-goal lead. Rodriguez backhanded a pass along the right-wing dashers into the right circle for Brycen Martin, and he went through Johnson’s five-hole. The Admirals then scored shorthanded at the 11:59 mark of the second to push their lead to three. On a zone rush into Florida’s defensive end, Reichert managed to deflect Gerard’s initial shot past Johnson.   The ‘Blades gained momentum back late in the second period by killing off a five-minute major and a four-minute double minor that resulted in 3:27 of a two-man advantage for the Admirals. However, Florida couldn’t translate that momentum into a goal to climb any closer. The ‘Blades pulled Johnson with a little over five minutes to play to try to whittle into their 4-1 deficit, but Rodriguez added an empty-netter with 4:51 left to seal the win.   BLADES BITES

• The loss snapped Florida’s 10-game home point streak and six-game home winning streak.
• Pendenza has points in five of his last six games, with six points (4g, 2a) in that stretch.
• The ‘Blades posted more than 35 shots on goal for the 23rd time this season.
• Florida finished the four-game season series against Norfolk with a 3-1-0 record.  

Next UpFlorida finishes out a four-game weekend with a Sunday afternoon road matinée against the Jacksonville Icemen. Faceoff is set for 3 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Arena. 

— 

2020 KELLY CUP PLAYOFF PACKAGESPackages for the 2020 Kelly Cup Playoffs are now on sale. For more information on Everblades Playoff Packages, click HERE.

BLADES 365 MEMBERSHIPS Blades 365 Memberships are now on sale for the 2020-21 season! Get great seat locations, big savings and exclusive year-round experiences with a Blades 365 Membership!

Purchase a new Blades 365 Membership for the 2020-21 season and receive a $20 gift card to Ford’s Garage and an Everblades tote bag! To view the Blades 365 Membership savings, benefits and options click HERE.

FOLLOW THE 'BLADESStay up to date with all the latest in news, scores, and promotions by following the 'Blades on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

The Florida Everblades are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and AHL's Milwaukee Admirals