Roe’s career-night helps ‘Blades salvage point in series finale

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Logan Roe posted his first career multi-goal game and tied his career-high with three points to help the Florida Everblades earn a point in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Utah Grizzlies on Saturday night at the Maverik Center.

BOX SCORE

In the finale of a three-game set with Utah (8-8-2-1, 19 pts.), Florida (12-6-1-1, 26 pts.) scored three times in the third period to force overtime before Utah won the shootout, 1-0, to pick up the extra standings point.

With a stellar individual effort on the power play, Roe helped give the ‘Blades the first goal of the game for the first time in the series. Roe stepped up to keep the puck in the zone on Florida’s first power play of the game, skated free in the right circle and ripped a snapshot past the glove of Utah goaltender Mason McDonald 11:32 in the first.

Utah tallied twice in the second period to take the lead into the third. Joe Wegwerth beat Florida goaltender Ken Appleby from the left circle at the 5:42 mark of the second, and Jake Jackson scored on a zone rush with 5:15 to play in the frame to put the Grizzlies ahead, 2-1.

But Florida had a response of its own and struck twice in the first seven minutes of the third to grab a 3-2 lead. From the left circle, Roe hammered a slap shot past McDonald only two minutes, 20 seconds into the third to tie the game. Hugo Roy punched in a rebound for his second goal in as many games to push Florida ahead with 6:02 gone in the frame.

From there, the game went back and forth down the stretch. Utah evened the game at three on a shorthanded goal from Jack Jenkins, as he managed to slap a puck that took a tricky carom off the end wall past Appleby with 6:31 left in regulation.

Florida went back ahead on Adam Smith’s first career goal with 4:03 remaining in the third, but Utah’s Brandon Saigeon scored on a power play only 89 seconds later to push the game to overtime.

Saigeon scored the only goal in the shootout in the third round to give Utah the win.

‘BLADES BITES

• Arvin Atwal had a penalty shot with 6:42 left in the second period, Florida’s first penalty shot opportunity of the season and first since Patrick Bajkov took a penalty shot in a 4-2 win at Orlando on March 2, 2019.   
• Roe now has five goals this season and surpassed his goal output from a season ago in only 20 games. He is two goals shy of his career-high of seven goals from the 2017-18 season.
• Roe’s three-point game was the second of his career. He tabbed three assists in a 5-0 win against Greenville on Jan. 11, 2019.
• Florida was 0-for-18 on the power play over a six-game span up until its third power play of the game on Friday. The ‘Blades went 1-for-4 on Saturday night and are 2-for-7 since their third man advantage in Friday’s game.  
• The ‘Blades have had seven individual multi-goal efforts this season and all seven have come in road games.  

NEXT UPFlorida concludes its four-game road trip with a Wednesday night matchup against the Jacksonville Icemen. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Arena.

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