Kalamazoo Wings' season ends with 3-1 loss to Florida Everblades - MLive.com

Todd Stubing/Special to MLiveK-Wings Harry Young (2), Darryl Bootland (27) and Mike Matczak console goalie Riley Gill following the team's 3-1 season-ending loss against the Florida Everblades Saturday night.

ESTERO, Fla. â€" The Florida Everblades are the new ECHL Eastern Conference champs and will face the Las Vegas Wranglers in the Kelly Cup finals after defeating the Kalamazoo Wings, 3-1, Saturday night.

The Everblades won the best-of-seven series, four games to one for their third conference title. The other two were in 2004 and 2005.

Neither Florida nor the Wranglers have ever won the Kelly Cup. Their series begins Monday, May 14, in Las Vegas.

The K-Wings fly back to Kalamazoo on Sunday and K-Wings coach Nick Bootland plans to start exit interviews on Monday.

“Once you lose, things happen pretty quickly,” he said.

In spite of the loss, Bootland said the team played well.

Todd Stubing/Special to MLiveFlorida's Brandon MacLean runs into K-Wings goalie Riley Gill as defenseman Sam Ftorek stands guard at the net.

“We left it all on the ice tonight,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the effort. The guys battled and they gave everything they had.”

K-Wings goalie Riley Gill (8-6-0) came up huge late in the opening period, stopping Sebastien Piche, who exited the penalty box and skated in on a breakaway.

For the first time in the series, the K-Wings kept the Everblades off the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes.

“Riley Gill was the MVP in the last several regular-season games and in the playoffs for us,” Bootland said. “He always gave us a chance to win.”

Todd Stubing/Special to MLiveEverblades Sebastien Piche (23) and Brayden Irwin try to knock K-Wings forward Justin Taylor off the puck near goalie John Muse.

Florida scored the first goal for the fifth game in a row on a Mike Ratchuk shot from the top of the slot past a screened Gill at 9:02.

The K-Wings answered three minutes later on their third power-play chance of the game.

Kory Karlander, in front of goalie John Muse (7-1-0) deflected an Eric Kattelus blast into the net for the equalizer.

With 1:49 left in the period, Piche unleashed a shot through traffic for Florida’s first man-up tally in three chances.

Trevor Bruess gave the Everblades an insurance marker, capitalizing on a K-Wings’ turnover 5:56 into the final period.

“They’re an unbelievable transition team,” Bootland said of the Everblades. “They’re very opportunistic and you can’t makes a mistake against them or the puck ends up in the back of the net.”

Gill kept the K-Wings alive with 5:43 left in the game, stopping Justin Shugg on a penalty shot, but Gill’s teammates couldn’t get the puck past Muse.

The K-Wings were 1-for-4 with the man advantage and Florida was 1-for-5.

The Everblades outshot the K-Wings, 10-9, in the final period, but Kalamazoo had a 28-24 advantage for the game.

Dwight Helminen had five of the K-Wings’ shots on net and Nick Sirota fired off four of them.

EVERBLADES 3, K-WINGS 1

Kalamazoo 0 1 0 â€" 1

Florida 0 2 1 â€" 3

1st PERIODâ€"None. Penaltiesâ€"Kattelus, Kal (roughing), 4:19; Sirota, Kal (goaltender interference), 7:33; Piche Fla (cross-checking), 15:46.

2nd PERIODâ€"1, Florida, Ratchuk 1 (Fischer, MacLean), 9:02. 2, Kalamazoo, Karlander 4 (Kattelus, Matczak), 12:13 (pp). 3, Florida, Piche 3 (Fischer, Lalonde-McNicoll), 18:11. Penaltiesâ€"Bruess, Fla (holding), 11:46; Irwin, Fla (cross-checking), 14:28; Haczyk, Kal (holding), 16:54; Sirota, Kal (delay of game), 19:40.

3rd PERIODâ€"4, Florida, Bruess 5 (Roy), 5:56. Penaltiesâ€"Sirota, Kal (goaltender interference), 12:53; Piche, Fla (tripping), 16:00.

SHOTS ON GOALâ€"Kalamazoo 8-11-9â€"28. Florida 6-8-10â€"24.

POWER-PLAY OPPORTUNITIESâ€"Kalamazoo 1 of 4. Florida 1 of 5.

GOALIESâ€"Kalamazoo, Gill 8-6-0 (58:01, 24 shots-21 saves). Florida, Muse 7-1-0 (28-27).

REFEREEâ€"Nick Krebsbach. LINESMENâ€"Francis Trempe, Alex Stagnone. Aâ€"4,732.