The Florida Everblades scored three times in the first period and goaltender Cam Johnson earned his second shutout of the playoffs in Game 3 of the ECHL Eastern Conference Finals.
The Florida Everblades sure looked happy to be back on home ice in Wednesday's Game 3 of the ECHL Eastern Conference Finals. The Everblades scored three goals in the first period, more than enough for goaltender Cam Johnson, who stopped all 26 shots on goal in the 4-0 win.
Florida's Jordan Sambrook opened the scoring less than seven minutes into the contest on a seeing-eye shot from above the right circle. The goal marked Sambrook's second of the playoffs and first since Game 3 of the first round.
Just over six minutes later, Mark Senden doubled up the Everblades' lead on a beautiful shot in transition. With the goal, the Florida forward moved into a tie for the second-most points (10) among rookie skaters, trailing only Adirondack's Tristan Ashbrook and Toledo's Riley Sawhcuk, who both have 14.
Not long after Senden's marker, Matt Wedman added a power-play goal off a feed from Josh Ho-Sang, who recorded his fourth multi-assist game of the playoffs. Florida outshot Adirondack 14-4 in the opening frame, with the Thunder going nearly ten minutes without recording a shot on goal in the period.
Adirondack responded with an improved effort in the middle frame, registering ten shots on goals to Florida's nine. However, Johnson kept a clean sheet. Approaching the end of the period, Will Reilly scored on a long-distance shot, but the goal was waived off for goaltender interference.
The Thunder recorded 12 shots on goal but could not get anything past Johnson, who turned aside all 22 shots on goal between the second and third periods. With Adirondack's net empty, Bobo Carpenter added the proverbial dagger with 70 seconds left in regulation.
Florida takes a 2-1 series lead and will look to continue its march towards an unprecedented third straight Kelly Cup championship in Friday's Game 4.