73 penalty minutes, 14 power plays, overtime and a shootout necessary on Saturday
BY: Jordan Kuhns, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A game that featured just about everything went to the extra session, and then the shootout. The Greenville Swamp Rabbits battled back from a deficit twice to earn a point to get the game to overtime and fell in a shootout 5-4 on Saturday night at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Nathan Perkovich scored the only goal in the three-round shootout for the Everblades on the last shot of the third round to win the game. Florida appeared to score the game-winner with just a second to go in overtime, but the goal was waved off due to goaltender interference.
With 73 minutes in penalties, 14 power plays, 88 shots on goal, nine goals, three lead changes, and just about everything else in between, the Swamp Rabbits battled through to stay afloat in the game.
Chris Nell was the busy bee in net for Greenville, as his 55 saves, a career-high, kept the Swamp Rabbits in it. Nell faced 99 shots on goal in the two games and stopped 93.9% of the shots that were fired his way.
After a dustup six seconds into the game, and further penalties taken by the Swamp Rabbits, Matt Finn connected on the power play for the second consecutive game for the ‘Blades to give them the 1-0 lead. But the Swamp Rabbits fired back in earnest to tie the game five minutes later with Chris Izmirlian and take the lead early in the second with a goal from Dylan Vander Esch for the first lead change.
A wicked wraparound by Blake Winiecki tied the game for the ‘Blades, but the Swamp Rabbits responded 17 seconds later. Austen Brassard deflected a shot from Chad Duchesne at the point to give the Swamp Rabbits a 3-2 lead.
The Everblades pulled the reversal with two unanswered for the third and final lead change. Joe Cox connected on a shorthanded goal three minutes into the third period, and Tommy Thompson got a strange break off of a faceoff win through a screen in front on a shot that beat Nell through a maze of humanity.
Thomas Ebbing, who continues to be red hot for Greenville, came through in the clutch late in the game. On a late power play, Adam Larkin‘s shot bounded through traffic off of Izmirlian, and Ebbing found the loose puck on the backhand and beat Jamie Phillips into an open cage to tie the game at four.
The penalty kill had to come up large in a game that featured 22 penalty infractions. The Swamp Rabbits went 90% on the night, having faced 10 power play opportunities against them, a season-high.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have closed out 2018 at a 12-18-5 mark. To start 2019, Greenville will take on Orlando on Wednesday, January 2. Catch all of the action on the Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network, or on the ECHL’s streaming video provider, ECHL.TV.
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