BY: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
April 23, 2022, | 7:00 PM |2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs Rd. 1 Game 2
Hertz Arena | Estero, FL
Referees: Trevor Wohlford (38), Cameron Fleming (27)
Linesmen: Ross Crimaldi (80), Tannum Wyzonek (74)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Pregame Coverage begins at 6:45 PM
LISTEN: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network
WATCH: FloHockey Live Stream
Voice of the Swamp Rabbits Mark Shelley on the call
ROUND 1: SWAMP RABBITS VS EVERBLADES SERIES
PLAYOFF SERIES RECORD:
Overall: (0-1) Home: (0-0) Away: (0-1)
Last Game:
GAME 1 – April 22, 2022 – Greenville 3 at Florida 4 OT
Next Meeting:
GAME 3 – April 27, 2022 – Greenville vs. Florida
Season Series Record:
Overall: (5-4-1-0) Home: (3-3-1-0) Away: (2-1-0-0)
ECHL STANDINGS
QUICK BITS
RECAPPING GAME 1:
The Swamp Rabbits could not hang on to an early lead, falling 4-3 in overtime of game one of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. 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. 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. 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. 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.
SCOUTING THE EVERBLADES:
The Swamp Rabbits are no strangers to the game plan of the Everblades, having met with their Round 1 foe on ten different occasions. Football might be a game of inches on the field, but Florida brings that concept to the roster. A strong-bodied, physical team, Florida uses its size to help generate takeaways and leave defenses scrambling to recover, hence the +56 goal differential. In addition, the Everblades have three 70-point scorers in Angeli, McCarron, and Winiecki. These three control the offensive zone and can carry the puck long enough to wait for a viable passing option.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE:
Forward Nikita Pavlychev tallied a pair of points, including the Swamp Rabbits’ second goal of the game, in last night’s loss. The 6’7” centerman showed off his quick release and continued his growing chemistry with fellow linemate Liam Pecararo. Pavlychev posted 33 points (14g, 19a) in just 38 games in the regular season and showed no sign of slowing down into the postseason.
FILL UP ON KAS:
Christian Kasastul proved a cause for concern in last night’s Game 1 loss, opening the scoring with a rocket shot from an offensive zone face-off. His first goal in an ECHL and second in North America (1 goal with AHL Ontario) showed that big things come in little packages. At 5’10, Kasastul is the shortest of the Swamp Rabbits’ blue-liners but has an on-ice personality and physicality of a giant.
THE #1, LARGE FRY, AND A DRINK:
Ayden MacDonald found himself on the scoresheet in the first period of last night’s game. One of the most significant mid-season pickups for the Swamp Rabbits out of USports, Big Mac, had made a name for himself in a Greenville sweater, scoring some of the biggest goals of the season. Head Coach Andrew Lord states that MacDonald’s energy and attitude to the room almost make one forget that the Langley, BC native posted 20 goals in 44 games for the Rabbits.
BRINGING UP BOBBY:
Defenseman Bobby Russell’s development into an offensive-minded blue-liner has steered the Swamp Rabbits in the right direction through the second half of the season and into Game 1. The defensemen racked up an assist and recorded a +2 rating while providing a healthy speed and agility boost to the team’s back-line and neutral zone.
