Everblades Three-Peat: Game 4 Analysis
After a 4-1 win last night in Estero, the swamp is now one game shy of an Everblades three-peat and that game takes place tonight.
1st Period: Notes
Going into last nights game, the focus was to stick to what they know, defend the rush, and limit their penalty minutes.
While they definitely didn’t limit their penalty minutes, it wasn’t at all detrimental to their gameplay but ended up being a stepping stone to generating opportunities in limited situations to avoid playing predictable hockey.
And what situation would that be?
Scoring the opening goal shorthanded.
Despite being outshot and outnumbered, Oliver Chau was found in the neutral zone in the perfect position to utilize his speed which was met with the decision to feed it to the known sweet spot from game 3, or to throw off the Mavericks with a shot.
Obviously Chau buried it, setting the tone for the remainder of the game.
“He’s been electric the last two games, I think that he’s taken the wind out of their sails. For me, what he’s accomplished over the playoffs and the way that he stepped up over the last little bit has been amazing to watch,” said Josh Ho-Sang on Chau.
Everblades Three-Peat: Dynamics
Heading into the 2nd period, the Everblades had only put up a total of 4 SOG but managed to take full advantage of their space in the Mavericks territory to execute one just 45 seconds in.
The dynamics of the Florida Everblades stand out tremendously in this goal if you take a closer look.
Defenseman Cole Moberg is a key player in times where the Everblades need someone to step up and play a diverse role for the team. He exudes a type of gameplay that allows his teammates to trust him wherever he is on the ice which has been displayed consistently through his extended skillset:
A defensemen that uses his body but also generates in the opposing D zone.
Adding to the equation, Pendenza is a leader off the ice which translates to his role on the ice. He’s there to help his team build off each other and make up for any mistakes or missed opportunities which was reflected in this goal for the extended lead.
“We just stick together. At the end of the day everyones got each other’s backs, so you know, somebody makes a mistake, they just pick them up, no big deal,” said Pendenza. “Nobody stresses out too much, stay calm and onto the next moment and just keep going.”
This is the natural dynamic that speaks to the fact that you don’t need to play perfect hockey to make the Everblades three-peat possible, but what you do need are players that mesh naturally and unapologetically to play a game that laughs in the face of adversity.
The Everblades finished Game 4 out with a win and are now looking to remain laser focused for tonight’s Game 5.
Blocking Out The Noise
“We love the noise. We hear it all. We don’t try to block it out. For us, we want to hear what people have to say and we want them to doubt us. We want them to be against us, because our team thrives to that,” said Ho-Sang. “I think in any walk in life you need to battle through adversity…”
The Everblades have been in this position before during their playoff presence but this time they know how to navigate it to produce the best possible outcome.
“We’ve been here before. Game Five against Adirondack we were in the same position, so we know what it takes,” said Head Coach Brad Ralph.
The Everblades not only know what it’ll take to overcome tonight’s adversity, but they know what it takes to secure not one, but two consecutive Kelly Cups.
Tonight’s goal is to leave it all out on the ice and make history with an Everblades Three-Peat.
Puck drop is at 7:00 tonight at Hertz Arena! Tune into ESPNSWFL radio to listen!
