Everblades Dominate Solar Bears In Game 1

Five different skaters found the back of the net in the Florida Everblades 5-1 win in Game 1 against the Orlando Solar Bears on Friday. Goaltender Cam Johnson stopped 23 of 24 shots on goal.

Florida scored two goals in each of the second and third periods and outshot the Solar Bears 34-24 in a dominant display of effort.

The Everblades have now won four consecutive games, going back to Game 5 of the first-round series with Jacksonville.

Defenseman Cole Moberg wasted no time in giving Florida a 1-0 lead, wristing a shot from the blue line just 16 seconds into the game. Less than five minutes later, Will Reilly found the back of the net for the second consecutive game.

Orlando cut the deficit in half on Darik Angeli's second goal of the postseason. Luke Boka was initially credited with the goal after a chaotic sequence in front of the Everblades net, but the scoring was later changed.

Just 4:21 into the second period, Florida restored its two-goal lead after Orlando turned it over in its own zone, leading to a wrister from Cam Darcy from the slot. Less than three minutes later, Mark Senden won the race to a loose puck in the Solar Bears' zone, and the Everblades forward rifled his shot into the back of the net.

Early in the third period, Sean Josling extended Florida's lead to 5-1 on a one-timer from the left-wing circle.

Coming into Friday's game, Florida had scored 13 of its 16 postseason goals in the second period. Two more to that total in Game 1 now make it 15 of the 21 goals coming in the middle frame.

We will see what Saturday's Game 2 has in store. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

Highlights

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