Everblades Storm Back for Win Over Thunder

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – In their first meeting with a North Division opponent this season, the Florida Everblades mounted an electrifying comeback against the Adirondack Thunder and took a 4-3 victory at Cool Insuring Arena on Wednesday night. 

The frigid weather outside in Upstate New York – 27 degrees at the opening puck drop – seemed to follow Florida into its first-period play. Adirondack scored three goals in the first, with Mike Gillespie starting things off with a backdoor tap-in just 2:33 into the frame. Shane Harper (9:08) and Ryan Smith (12:11) capitalized on some unlucky bounces to give the Thunder a 3-0 lead at the conclusion of the first. 

At the onset of the second, the Everblades exploded offensively. Mark Senden (1:43) scored in his first game back after a stint with the Charlotte Checkers, while Riese Zmolek (8:11) blasted home a slap shot in his return to play after missing eight games. As a squad, Florida peppered Adirondack netminder Tyler Brennan with 20 shots in the middle stanza. While the Everblades controlled all the momentum in the closing moments of the third, time expired before they could knot the game at three. The Thunder entered the locker room at the second intermission up 3-2. 

The Blades and Thunder battled neck and neck for the first half of the third period, but Florida would break through with the help of Wilmer Skoog (12:41), tying the game at three. Then, with less than a minute remaining in regulation, Cam Morrison took a cross-crease feed from Bobo Carpenter, and buried the one-timer for his first Everblades goal in his first game with the team, giving Florida the 4-3 lead. The Thunder ran out of time to mount a comeback of their own, and the Everblades walked away with a 4-3 win behind four unanswered goals. 

After Adirondack scored three goals in the first period, Cam Johnson stood tall for the remainder of the game, and turned aside 19 total shots.  

On the other side of the sheet, Tyler Brennan made 43 saves down the stretch, as the Everblades peppered the 20-year-old netminder. 

Adirondack and Florida take tomorrow off but return to the ice on Friday for game two of the three-game series. Puck drop from Glens Falls, New York is set for 7:00 p.m. 

Blades Bits

• Wednesday’s win marks the first time the Everblades trailed by three goals and won the game since Jan. 29, 2019, against Jacksonville. The Blades trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in the second but won the game 5-4 in regulation. 
• Mark Senden and Sean Josling both had two-point nights. Senden tallied a goal and assist while Josling logged two helpers. 
• Florida’s 47 shots on net are the most this season. 

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