EVERBLADES BLANK SWAMP RABBITS BACK-TO-BACK ON FRIDAY NIGHT
Johnson stops all 16 shots; Swamp Rabbits suffer back-to-back shutouts for first time in two seasons
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
ESTERO, FL – Isaac Nurse compiled three points on a goal and an assist, and Tarun Fizer scored on the power play to secure the eventual game-winner, but Cam Johnson stole the show again with a 16-save shutout, his second this week against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, to power the Florida Everblades to a 4-0 win on Friday night. The loss puts the Swamp Rabbits to 1-3-0-0 through four of their 11 games on their franchise record road trip.
Both teams skated to a scoreless deadlock after one period of play. Cam Johnson, back in net for Florida, stopped all four shots he saw, while Isaiah Saville, making his fourth straight start and sixth straight appearance for the Swamp Rabbits between the pipes, turned aside all eight.
The Everblades eventually broke through early in the second on their second what eventually became eight power plays. At 1:54, Hudson Elynuik collected a Gianfranco Cassaro pass and rifled it cross ice to Tarun Fizer, who rifled a shot over Saville’s shoulder to give the Everblades a 1-0 lead. At 7:08, Isaac Nurse notched his first of two points when he wrapped from behind the Swamp Rabbits net and banked the puck off of Oliver Cooper and in, squeaking by Saville on his near post to make it a 2-0 Everblades advantage. Nurse was at it again, this time firing a shot through a sea of traffic in front of Saville, pinballing his shot off of Kyle Penney to extend the lead to 3-0 with 7:55 to play (Nurse and Patrick Kyte assisted). Johnson stayed hot, stopping seven second period shots.
Nurse completed his three-point night with a goal of his own, sliding a net-front rebound on a Cole Moberg shot attempt behind Saville to bring the game to a 4-0 count in Florida’s favor with 7:59 remaining in regulation. Johnson brought it home again for the Everblades, turning away another five shots to secure the 4-0 win with a 16-save shutout. Johnson staved off 43 shots over the course of both games this week, not surrendering a single goal.
Isaiah Saville, making his fourth straight start in his sixth straight appearance, turned away 28 of 32 shots on net (8-9-0-1).
The Swamp Rabbits transition to the third stage of their franchise-record 11-game road trip , going to Orlando to take on the Solar Bears for the first of a four-game week. Puck drop at the Kia Center on Tuesday, March 10th, is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have been providing family friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.
Leave a Reply