ECHL: Blades tough out 5-3 home victory

It may not have looked like the stuff bad blood is made of early, with the Blades taking a 3-0 lead in a dominating first period, but it ultimately took a Brian McCullough game-winning score with three minutes remaining to help the Everblades edge the Florence Pride, 5-3, Friday before a crowd of 5,284 at TECO Arena.

"It's what I'm brought to do here," said McCullough of his game-winner. "Our line was struggling a little bit tonight, we had a lot of chances, but we were able to come out with the win. A goal like that's nice."

Reggie Berg would add an empty-netter that helped coach Gerry Fleming's team improve to 2-0 against the Pride this season, and even the all-time series versus Florence --formerly the fear- inducing Pee Dee Pride -- at 18-18-3.

The Everblades (9-3-3) maintained their lead atop the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division, and for the moment at least, added another chapter to what could be a budding ECHL rivalry.

The two teams meet again tonight in a 7:30 face-off at TECO Arena.

"A game like this, I'm glad we won," said Fleming after his team's emotional victory. "Anytime you can beat a team like that and get the two points, it's key.

We're going to use this game as an example because it's a perfect teaching tool of what we did well as opposed to what we didn't do well. If you don't have the fundamentals, the passing, shooting, the execution, it won't work. We did well in the first period, we let it get away, and then we picked it up again in the last five minutes of the third."

The Everblades got on the board just a second after their two-minute power play for Pride defenseman Vladimir Gusev's slashing penalty had ended. Carl Mallette deposited the rebound from a Jay Legault wrist shot from the right circle, as Pride goalie Matt Underhill sprawled after the loose rebound, at 6:18 in the first.

Florida would add another at 10:45, when a Pride clearing attempt bounced off the boards and right at Brent McDonald, who beat Underhill glove side for his eighth of the year.

Mallette and Legault hooked up again to give the Blades a 3-0 cushion at 12:55 in the opening period, when Legault streaked alone down the right side, drawing Underhill and the Florence defense with him. He slipped the puck through the crease toward an unnoticed Mallette, who poked it in for his sixth goal of the season. Berg, seeing his first action since suffering a concussion on Nov. 7 in San Diego, was also credited with an assist on the score.

Everblades goalie Rob Zepp, playing in his first game after a brief stint with the team's AHL affiliate in Lowell, Mass., had the best seats in the house for the first 20 minutes. The Florida netminder didn't see his first shot until 5 minutes 21 seconds remained in the first, and he would only have to make three saves to preserve the 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

In some brief developments from the rivalry department, there were some punches thrown in the first, including a scuffle between Florida defenseman Jared Newman and Pride winger Craig Brunel with 2 minutes 39 seconds remaining. The brawl literally spanned the length of the blue line in front of Underhill, who watched the two finally end up lying on the boards to the goalie's left. Newman headed to the locker room early to a hearty ovation from the TECO crowd, while Brunel flipped the crowd a mock gesture of gratitude as he walked the ramp to his locker room.

FLORIDA 5

FLORENCE 3

Florida: 3- 0 - 2 - 5

Florence: 0 - 1 - 2 - 3

First Period - Scoring: 1. Florida, Mallette (4) (Legault, Esdale) (6:18); 2. Florida, McDonald (8) (10:45); 3. Florida Mallette (5) (Legault, Berg) (12:55) (pp). Penalties: Gusev, Flo. (slashing) 4:17; Brunel, Flo. (fighting) 7:39; Pietersma, Fla. (fighting) 7:39; Pietersma, Fla. (instigating) 7:39; McRae, Flo. (tripping) 12:28; Newman, Fla. (fighting) 17:21; Brunel, Flo. (fighting) 17:21; Berg, Fla.

(roughing) 17:21; Brunel (roughing) 17:21, Brunel, Flo. (unsportsmanlike conduct) 17:21; Mallette, Fla. (slashing) 19:44.

Second Period - Scoring: 4. Florence, Sutter (6) (Knox, Corbell) (15:01) (pp); Penalties: Forbes, Fla.

(elbowing) 10:59; McCullough, Fla. (hooking) 12:42; Torney, Flo. (holding) 15:04; Berg, Fla. (obstruction-holding) 17:14.

Third Period - Scoring: 5. Souza, Flo. (6) (McRae) 2:52. 6. Florence, Sirois (3) (Souza, Gervais) 13:35; 7. Florida, McCullough (11) (McDonald) 17:03. 8.

Florida, Berg (7) 19:36. Penalties: None.

Shots on goal - Florence 3-19-18 - 40; Florida 11-6-16 - 33.

Power-play opportunities - Florence 1 of 5; Florida 1 of 3.

Goaltenders - Florence, Matt Underhill 1-1 (32 shots, 28 saves); Florida, Rob Zepp 3-1 (40 shots, 37 saves).

A - 5,284