TOSTI: Swamp Rabbits and Everblades Meet in Estero, FL
Greenville continues road stretch with first of two games against Florida in as many nights.
| DATE | TIME | OPPONENT | FOLLOW |
| Fri, Feb. 2 | 7:30 p.m. (ET) | at Florida Everblades | Listen – Watch – Twitter |
BY: Brian Tosti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
RABBIT TALES
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (19-22-3-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, make the trip to western Florida for the first time this season to face the Eastern Conference leading Florida Everblades (30-9-1-3) at 7:30 p.m. tonight. The Swamp Rabbits topped the Everblades in their only other meeting this season, earning a 5-4 victory in a shootout at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena to end the month of November. Greenville earned a win in their last outing while the Everblades suffered a loss in their last contest and are 1-3-1-0 in their last five games.
SHORT HISTORY
The Swamp Rabbits and Everblades meet on Nov. 30 for the first of seven games this season. Greenville opened the game with a 3-1 lead in the first period but the Everblades rallied for three in the second and third. Swamp Rabbits leading scorer forward Caleb Herbert tallied two goals and added an assist in the game including one in the final seven minutes to tie the contest. Goaltender Ty Rimmer helped the cause making 47 saves and denying all three Florida chances in the shootout. Herbert recorded the lone goal in the skills competition to help Greenville to the 5-4 victory.
NEW TWO
The Swamp Rabbits signed Garret Clemment and Jacob Barber from the Knoxville Ice Bears and the Birmingham Bulls. The pair of rookies are out to a good start at the beginning of their pro hockey careers. Barber is leading all rookies with 30 points (13G, 17A) this season including four game-winning goals. Clemment is nearly a point per game player, earning 12 points (4G, 8A) in 13 games after signing with the team at the end of December. Both came to pro hockey from Division-III college hockey with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Stevens Point. Barber helped the Pointers capture the 2016 NCAA D-III National Championship.
BACK IN ‘Z’ MIX
Defenseman Sergey Zborovskiy will see his first action back in the ECHL after logging four games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. The rookie defenseman returned on Sunday evening to the club after making his AHL debut on Jan. 21. The Moskva, Russia native has recorded 16 points (5G, 11A) in 36 games with the Swamp Rabbits this season. Zborovskiy leads all rookie blueliners this season with three goals on the power play.
ODD STAT, BUT A GOOD STAT
The Swamp Rabbits have not fallen in regulation when holding a lead at the end of a period on the road this season. Greenville is 3-0-1-0 with the lead after the first and 7-0-1-0 with the lead after the second period. Likewise, the Everblades have not suffered a loss this season at home when holding a lead at the end of a period. Florida has earned a 7-0-0-0 record with the lead after the first and an 8-0-0-0 record after the second. Florida is 13-4-0-1 at home this season and Greenville is 10-9-1-0 on the road.
BERRY BACK
The Everblades returned a key piece to their lineup last week as forward Matt Berry was activated off of injured reserve. The third-year pro had not played since Nov. 12, but opened the campaign with nine points (2G, 7A) in his first 10 games. The Canton, Michigan native ranked third on the Everblades roster last season, earning 68 points (24G, 44A) in 70 games. Since turning pro in 2015, Berry has tallied 119 points (45G, 74A) in 144 games between the AHL and ECHL.
CARROT BITES
- Defenseman Sean Flanagan tallied his first career goal on Sunday in Jacksonville. The goal held up as the game-winner over the Icemen.
- Caleb Herbert leads Greenville with 44 points (19G, 25A) while Stephen MacAulay is Florida’s top producer with 40 points (20G, 20A).
- Florida goaltender Martin Ouellette has faced Greenville three times in his career and is 0-2-0-1 with 67 saves and 11 goals against.
- The Everblades are without forward Michael Kirkpatrick, who is currently in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters. He had scored 40 points (15G, 25A) in 33 ECHL games.
2-FOR-$20 NIGHT | Tuesday, February 6 | 7 p.m.
We are throwing ticket prices back on Tuesday night. Grab two tickets for $20 and enjoy our Hoppy Hour specials, including $3 domestic beer, and select $2 concessions from 5-8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased before the game through the Swamp Rabbits office or at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena box office.
REMINDER: Feb. 8 Moved to Feb. 20
The Swamp Rabbits home game originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8 has been moved to Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. The Swamp Rabbits will face the Atlanta Gladiators for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Night presented by Michelin. For more information on the rescheduled contest, visit SwampRabbits.com.
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