EVERBLADES DROP HEARTBREAKER IN IDAHO

BOISE, IDAHO – Despite scoring a pair of dramatic third-period goals to take a 4-3 lead, the Florida Everblades came up on the short end of a 5-4 decision to the Idaho Steelheads Friday night at Idaho Central Arena. Four different players scored goals for the Blades, while six others collected assists.

A slow start after the opening draw gave way to a flurry of activity which saw the teams combine for three goals in a 1:42 span of the first period. The Everblades drew first blood as Ben Brar took a feed from Marc-Andre Gaudet, slipped past the Idaho defense and scored his fifth goal of the season to give the good guys a 1-0 lead just under seven minutes into the contest. 

Unfortunately, Idaho capitalized on two Florida defensive miscues deep in the Blades’ end 19 seconds apart, and the Steelheads took a 2-1 lead. Brendan Hoffmann’s 14^th goal of the season and Patrick Moynihan’s third of the campaign did the damage, as Idaho flipped the script by the 8:36 mark. Despite holding a 15-8 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes, the Everblades found themselves in a one-goal hole at the first intermission.

Both teams would add a goal in the second period. For the Everblades, Kyle Betts wasted little time erasing Idaho’s lead, as he picked up a puck in neutral ice, drove all the way through the Idaho defense and knotted the game at 2-2 with an unassisted tally just 67 seconds into frame. 

Idaho responded midway through the frame, regaining a 3-2 lead at the 10:55 mark. Reece Harsch snapped the tie with his third goal this season, putting puck in the net for the Steelheads despite heavy traffic in the Everblades’ goal crease. For the second straight period, Florida claimed a big advantage in the shot department, 16-9.

For the third straight period, the Everblades would score the first goal, as Logan Lambdin picked up the equalizer, burying a feed from Carson Gicewicz from the left circle to tue the game at 3-3 with his team-leading 13^th goal of the season just 5:32 into the third frame.

This time, just 57 seconds later, the Blades would cash in with the second goal of the period and the payoff was huge, as Anton Malmström’s fifth goal of the year gave Florida a 4-3 lead. Malmström took a feed from Isaac Nurse who skated around the Idaho net and Malmström buried a snipe from the left circle to give the Blades a lead for the first time since the early stages of the contest. 

After Andrei Bakanov drew Idaho even at 4-4 with his fourth goal of the year at 15:28 of the third, it appeared as if the Everblades pulled ahead on a goal by Cole Moberg with 1:57 to play, but the potential game-winner was waved off.

At that juncture, Idaho took advantage of a misconduct penalty and went on the power play, later going on a 5-on-3 advantage with 45 seconds left on the clock, but Hoffmann’s second goal of the night with 37 seconds to play gave the Steelheads a 5-4 victory. Florida outshot Idaho 11-8 in the third and 42-25 for the game.

In goal, Will Cranley (4-5-1-0) made 20 saves and suffered the loss for the Everblades, while Idaho’s Ben Craws (10-2-3-0) stopped 38 shots and picked up the victory.

The rubber game of the three-game set with the Steelheads is slated for Saturday night in the Gem State at 9:10 p.m. EST. before the Blades return to Hertz Arena to a three-game set against the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Wednesday, January 15. 

Wednesday’s 7:30 p.m. series opener will feature an always popular Hump Day Deal, offering fans hot dogs, Bud Lights and Labatt Blues for just $3.00 apiece. The Everblades and Ghost Pirates will also meet on Friday, January 17 and Saturday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively. 

Friday’s Hertz Night contest features a special deal which includes two tickets, two Nutrl Seltzers and a souvenir program for just $39, while Saturday marks out third annual Star Wars Night. Come dressed as your favorite Star Wars character, enjoy a plethora of themed activities, pick up a light sword courtest of HSS at NCH,  and enjoy live music at our pregame tailgate. Visit floridaeverblades.com for more information and to purchase tickets.

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BLADES BITS

Logan Lambdin’s third-period equalizer was his team-high 13^th goal of the season and gave him goals in back-to-back games for the third time this season.

Anton Malmström gave the Everblades a third-period lead with his first goal of the 2025 calendar year and first strike in six games. Malmström had registered assists in two of the last three contests.

With an assist on Malmström’s goal, Colin Theisen ran his point streak to seven games, one shy of the longest current streak in the ECHL. In seven games dating back to December 27, Theisen has collected six assists and one goal.

Ben Brar’s first-period marker was his fourth goal in the last six games. Brar, who has five goals on the season, lit the lamp three times in back-to-back wins over Orlando on December 28 and 30. Friday’s goal got the rookie back in the scoring column after a three-game hiatus without a point.

Kyle Betts found his way into the box score for the first time in five games, collecting an unassisted goal which was his first goal since opening the scoring in a 3-2 victory over South Carolina on December 20, the opening game of the Blades’ recent six-game homestand.

Will Cranley saw his first ECHL action since December 11 when he faced the Orlando Solar Bears and suffered a 3-2 setback. Cranley entered Friday’s game with three straight losses – two by just one goal – after opening the season with a 4-2 record for the Everblades. In a pair of AHL appearances with Springfield on December 28 and 31, the former sixth round 2020 draft pick pf the St. Louis Blues posted a 0-1-0 mark with a 4.91 ERA.

Despite Friday’s setback, the Everblades are 9-6-1 all-time against the Steelheads in regular-season play, with an additional 5-4 edge in postseason action. That postseason mark includes a four-game sweep of the Steelheads in the 2023 Kelly Cup Finals. Prior to this series, the Everblades last traveled to Idaho for a regular-season set way back in December 2015, taking two of three games from the Steelheads.

Friday Night’s Scoresheet

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