BLADES AND STINGRAYS SET FOR BACK-TO-BACK MATCHUPS TONIGHT FOR PEANUTS NIGHT

ESTERO, Fla. – Cam Johnson made 30 saves to secure his 100th career ECHL win, as the Florida Everblades jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead and held on for a 3-2 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays. The two teams will face off for back-to-back matchups tonight in The Swamp for a 7:00 p.m., puck drop, coinciding with the Blades’ Peanuts Night-themed contest. 

The party started with Kyle Betts who pounced on a rebound off Stingrays goaltender Garin Bjorklund’s pads to redirect the puck into the net, forwards Oliver Chau and Connor Doherty getting their stick on it for a point each. 

Craig Needham kept the momentum going, firing a one-timer from the right circle to score his first goal in over a month, this time defensemen Kade Landry and Riese Zmolek registering as helpers. Logan Lambdin capped off the sequence by disrupting the Stingrays' streak of not allowing a powerplay goal on the road with a shot that deflected off Bjorklund’s helmet and into the back of the net.

Despite South Carolina scoring twice in the final frame, both goals coming from Josh Wilkins, the Blades remained resilient, continuing the trend that the team that scores first comes away with the victory—this marking the fourth consecutive game where that pattern has held true. 

Following this contest, Chau, Lambdin, and Carson Gicewicz are now tied for the most goals in the 2024-25 season, each with 11, after all three players contributed to last night’s scoreboard. However, Gicewicz leads with 24 points whereas on the other side of the ice, Stingrays Micah Miller and Kyler Kupka are tied for first with 20. 

Chau, fresh off being named the Blades’ 21st captain in history, heads into tonight’s matchup with one game  as captain under his belt and four points in his last three contests. 

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