FINAL
ESTERO, Fla. â€" The Kalamazoo Wings season is over and the Florida Everblades are the new Eastern Conference champions and headed into the Kelly Cup finals against the Las Vegas Wranglers.
The K-Wings ran into a team with two hot goaltenders and couldn’t solve either one, including John Muse, who was in net for the 3-1 series-clinching win Saturday night.
Leading 2-1 after two periods, the Everblades’ Trevor Bruess scored an insurance marker off a K-Wings turnover 5:56 into the final period.
Goalie Riley Gill, who has played stellar all postseason, kept the K-Wings in the game, stopping Justin Shugg on a penalty shot with 5:43 left in the game.
Florida outshot the K-Wings, 10-9, in the period, but the K-Wings held a 28-24 advantage for the game.
END SECOND PERIOD
ESTERO, Fla. â€" The Kalamazoo Wings could be playing their last 20 minutes of the season after being outscored by the Florida Everblades, 2-1, in the second period.
Florida’s Mike Ratchuk struck first from the top of the slot past a screened goalie Riley Gill 9:02 into the period.
The K-Wings answered three minutes later on a Kory Karlander deflection of an Eric Kattelus shot for a power-play tally.
The Everblades scored their own man-up goal on a Sebastien Piche blast through traffic with 1:49 left in the period.
The K-Wings outshot the Everblades, 11-8, in the period and 19-14 in the game.
END FIRST PERIOD
ESTERO, Fla. â€" For the first time in all five games, the Kalamazoo Wings kept the Florida Everblades off the scoreboard in the opening period.
Unfortunately for the K-Wings, they didn’t score either, although they outshot Florida, 8-6.
The K-Wings were called for two minors and Everblades for one in the period.
PREGAME
ESTERO, Fla. â€" Outscoring the Kalamazoo Wings, 14-3, in their last two games, the Florida Everblades can clinch the ECHL’s Eastern Conference championship with a win Saturday night.
If the K-Wings win, Game 6 of the best-of-seven series returns to Wings Stadium Tuesday night.
Including the regular season, the K-Wings are 1-4-0-0 at Germain Arena, where the Everblades have outscored them, 32-15 in those games.
Florida is riding a nine-game home winning streak and is 17-1-0-1 at Germain Arena in its last 19 games, including the regular season.
The K-Wings are 5-1 when scoring first, but haven’t done that in their four games against the Everblades.
K-Wings veteran Sam Ftorek leads ECHL defensemen in the postseason with 10 points on three goals and seven assists.
Sparked by his hat trick in Game 3, Brayden Irwin leads Florida in scoring against the K-Wings with five goals and three assists.
The Everblades have scored five power-play goals in 21 chances in the series, while the K-Wings are 3-for-19.
K-Wings starters: Goal: Gill (8-5-0); forwards: Dean Strong, Justin Taylor, Dustin Cloutier; defense: Harry Young, Mike Matczak.
K-Wings scratches: Playoff reserve: Brandon Svendsen, Elgin Reid, Prab Rai; healthy: Jonathan Harty, Joe Tolles.
Everblades starters: Goal: Muse (6-1-0); forwards: Justin Shugg, Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll, Matt Marquardt; defense: Kevin Quick, Charles Landry.
Everblades scratches: Playoff reserve: Ryan McGinnis, Rylan Galiardi, Leigh Salters; healthy: Joe Sova, Scott Pitt.
Referee: Nick Krebsbach; linesmen: Francis Trempe, Alex Stagnone.
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