BY: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
ESTERO, FL – Despite opening a three-goal lead in the first period, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits fell 4-3 in overtime to the Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the Kelly Cup Playoffs Round 1 on Friday night at Hertz Arena.
GAME SHEET: Click here
|
1st |
2nd | 3rd | OT |
Final |
|
|
GVL |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3 |
| FLA | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
4 |
After Florida jumped out to the early shot lead, Greenville took the first lead of the game after Christian Kasastul fired the puck into the Florida net from an offensive zone face-off win at 8:59. Shortly after, at 9:39, Nikita Pavlychev snapped a second Greenville goal into the net for the 2-0 lead. Then, at 14:52, Pavlychev fed Ayden MacDonald in the slot, and MacDonald gave Greenville a 3-0 advantage.
Greenville pulled ahead in the shots in the second but saw the Everblades get on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at the 15:01 mark, as Stefan Leblanc scored from the blue line.
SECOND PERIOD
The second period started with a Greenville answer, as Nikita Pavlychev carried the puck down the left-wing and slid it to the trailing Chase Zieky, who scored his 15th of the season at 1:30. After the midway point of the frame, the Admirals’ offense began generating several threatening chances and capitalized at 17:47, as Marly Quince slid a loose puck into the back of the net.
In the third period, the Everblades earned a late power-play and, with its goaltender pulled for a six-on-four advantage, scored from Joe Pendenza at 18:40. Finally, at 19:25, the Everblades tied the game at 3-3, as Matteo Gennaro scored in the six-on-five.
The teams headed to overtime with the score level, and the Everblades would see their captain, John McCarron, net the game-winner at 2:05.
The Swamp Rabbits find themselves trailing the Everblades 1-0 in the best-of-seven series with the loss.
The Swamp Rabbits and Everblades rematch in Game 2 on Saturday night at Hertz Arena at 7:00 p.m.
Swamp Rabbits Single Game Tickets are on sale now! For more information or to secure your seats today, call 864-674-PUCK (7825) or email INFO@SwampRabbits.com
